'Mr'': 



,• I 



iiii^^ 



iii 



OF 

SPORTS AND PASTIMES 

EDITED BY 

HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G. , 
ASSISTED BY ALFRED E. T. WATSON 



CYCLING 



TRIXTED EV 

<5POTTISW00DE AND CO., NEW STREET SQUARE 

LONDON 




Sr 




"^{"^i^^M^ i^'^'i'^.i V '■": 



CYCLING 



Jh^Ul 



r.Y 



VISCOUNT BURY, K.C.IVLG. 

AND 

G. LACY HILLIER 




IVITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTJiATJONS 
BY VISCOUNT BURY AND JOSEPH PEN NELL 

SECOND EDITION, REVISED 

LONDON 
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 

1889 



All rights reserved 

A' 



O-V I041 
•/I 32. 



26611 



DEDICA TION 



TO 



H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES. 



Badminton : March^ 18S7. 

Having received permission to dedicate these volumes, 
the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes, 
to His Roval Highness the Prince of Wales, I 
do so feeling that I am dedicating them to one of the 
best and keenest sportsmen of our time. I can say, from 
personal observation, that there is no man who can 
extricate himself from a bustling and pushing crowd of 
horsemen, when a fox breaks covert, more dexterously 
and quickly than His Royal Highness ; and that when 
hounds run hard over a big country, no man can take a 
line of his own and live with them better. Also, when 
the wind has been blowing hard, often have I seen 
His Royal Plighness knocking over driven grouse and 
partridges and high-rocketing pheasants in first-rate 



vi DEDICA TION: 

workmanlike style. He is held to be a good yachtsman, 
and as Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron is 
looked up to by those who love that pleasant and 
exhilarating pastime. His encouragement of racing is 
well known, and his attendance at the University, Public 
School, and other important Matches testifies to his 
being, like most English gentlemen, fond of all manly 
sports. I consider it a great privilege to be allowed to 
dedicate these volumes to so eminent a sportsman as 
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and I do 
so with sincere feelings of respect and esteem and loyal 
devotion. 

BEAUFORT. 




■^^r-^f'--^ 



BADMINTON. 



PREFACE. 



A FEW LINES only are necessary to explain the object 
with which these volumes are put forth. There is no 
modern encyclopaedia to which the inexperienced man, 
who seeks guidance in the practice of the various British 
Sports and Pastimes, can turn for information. Some 
books there are on Hunting, some on Racing, some on 
Lawn Tennis, some on Fishing, and so on ; but one 
Library, or succession of volumes, which treats of the 
Sports and Pastimes indulged in by Englishmen — and 
women — is wanting. The Badminton Library is offered 
to supply the want. Of the imperfections which must 
be found in the execution of such a design we are con- 



viii PREFACE. 

scious. Experts often differ. But this we may say, 
that those who are seeking for knowledge on any of the 
subjects dealt with will find the results of many years' 
experience written by men who are in every case adepts 
at the Sport or Pastime of which they write. It is to 
point the way to success to those who are ignorant of 
the sciences they aspire to master, and who have no 
friend to help or coach them, that these volumes arc 
written. 

To those who have worked hard to place simply and 
clearly before the reader that vdiich he will find within, 
the best thanks of the Editor are due. That it has been 
no slight labour to supervise all that has been written he 
must acknowledge ; but it has been a labour of love, 
and very much lightened by the courtesy of the Publisher, 
by the unflinching, indefatigable assistance of the Sub- 
Editor, and by the intelligent and able arrangement 
of each subject by the various writers, who are so 
thoroughly masters of the subjects of which they treat. 
The reward we all hope to reap is that our work may 
prove useful to this and future generations. 

THE EDITOR, 



CONTENTS. 



CHATTER PAGE 

I. Introductory , . i 

II. Historical 53 

III. Riding 127 

IV. Racing 176 

V. Touring 195 

Vl. Training 210 

VII. Dress. .- 228 

VIII. Clubs 255 

IX. Tricycling for Ladies . . . . . . 266 

X. R.\cing Paths 271 

XI. The National Cyclists' Union .... 277 

XII. The Cyclists' Touring Club 306 

XIII. The Press and Cycling Literature. . . 313 

XIV. Construction 319 

mechanism . . 319 

modern cycles 390 

Index 435 



ILL USTRA TIONS. 

(Executed by G. Pearson and Ford & Wall.) 



MY 



PLATES. 

The Right of Way 

The Carrier in London . 

♦ Oh ! WHAT A FALL WAS THERE 
COUNTRYMEN ' . . . 

A Foolhardy Feat. 

The American Star Bicycle . 

At the Mercy of his Wife . 

A Country Club Run 

The Finish of a Race . 

A Road Race .... 

Coming events cast their shadows 

before' .... 

Waiting for the Pistol 
A Sharp Finish .... 
*The Anchor,' Ripley . 
A Mid-day Halt 
A Club Tour .... 
Women's Rights. 
A Danger Board . 
A C.T.C. FIotel .... 

Viscount Bury, K.C.M.G. 



PAGE 

J. Fennell . Frontispiece 
6 ' 

i6 -^ 



J. Peimell 
\ Viscount Bury 

Viscount Bury 
/. Pennell . 
y. Pennell 
/. Pennell 
J. Pennell 
J. Pennell . 

|- Viscount Bury 



Viscount Bury . . 190 ' 

Viscount Bujy , 194 " 

y. Pennell . . 204 . 

Viscount Bitry . 208 

y. Pennell . . 262 '-' 

/. Pen7iell . . 268 > 

y. Pennell . . 290 

y. Pennell . . 310 ^ 

From a Photograph \_ 
. hyHon.A.keppel) ^^ ' 



18 
20 
26 

30 
40 
70 

[72 



Xtl 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



WOODCUTS IN TEXT. 



Introductory 

Homeward Bound .... 
Rest on a River Bank . 
Good-bye, Sweetheart , 
The Carrier Tricycle . 
The Southern Camp 
A Country Postman 
Early Struggles .... 
Coasting — Safe and Reckless 
Bad and Good Positions of Rider 
Crank and Pedal Action 
Position of Feet in Pedalling . 
The Rear-driving Safety Bicycle 
Wedges for AtDjusting the Saddle 
The 'Xtraordinary Bicycle . 
Adjusting the PIead . 
This Hill is Dangerous . 

Going it ! 

Rushing a Rise .... 
Ludgate Hill ..... 
A Practice SriN .... 
Hunting the White Hart . 
A Merry Heart .... 
'The Anchor' at Ripley . 

Assemble ! 

* Cat's Cradle ' . . . . 

M^i'tv ^etSe, Qza ..... 

A Humber Roadster Bicycle 

A Cone Head 

Trigwell's Ball-Bearing Head . 
The Socket Head . . . . 



AKTIST 

Viscount Biny . 
Hon. A. Keppel 
Viscount Btiry 
Viscount Bury 



J. Pennell 
/. Pennell 
J. Pennell 
J. Pennell 



Viscount Bury 
J. Pennell . 
J. Pennell 
J. Pennell . 
J. Pennell 
Viscoui/t Bury 
Viscoujit Bury 
J. Pennell . 
Viscount Bury 
Viscount Bury 
Viscount Bury 



15 



PAGB 
I 

7 

52 

53 

55 

104 

126 

128 

139 
142 
149 
I, 152 
159 
164 
168 
170 

175 
176 

183 
199 
211 

227 

254 
259 
265 
270 
312 

323 

322 

323 
324 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The Ariel Head 

A Common Accident 

Adjusting the Head 

Handle-bars 

Whatton's Handle-]!aks 

Handles 

The Break Levers 

The Forks . 

The Arab Cradle Spring on an Adjustable Tilt-rod 

A Simplified Wheel . . . 

Methods of Fixing the Spokes 34S, 

New Rapid Tangent Wheel 

The Hub 

The Cheylesmore Two-chain Clutch Gear . . . . 

Starley's Differential Driving Gear 

The Balance Gear 

Pulley Wheels, Gearing Level, Up, and Down . . 367- 
The Crypto-dynamic Two-speed Gear . . . y]Z, 



Diagrams of Safety Bicycle . 

Back View of a Humber Tricycle 

The Humber Tandem 

The Humber 'Cripper' Tricycle 

The « Kangaroo ' . . . . 

The 'Rover' Bicycle . 

The 'Velociman' . . . . 

The End 



;88, 389 



. Viscoztnt Biuy 
Viscount Bicry 



PAGE 

325 

526 

327 

328 

329 

330 

332 

335 

344 

347 

349 

350 

352 

358 

361 

366 

370 

379 

3^ 

393 

395 

398 

40S 

411 

421 

433 



CYCLING. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY, 




CYCLING is by far 
the most lecent of all 
the sports treated of in 
the Badminton Library, there 
is none which has developed 
more rapidly in the last few 
years, nor is theie any which 
has assumed a more assured 
position in popular favour. 
Professor Huxley said in his 
farewell address to the Royal 
Society a short time ago, that 
since the time of Achilles no 
improvement had added any- 
thing to the speed or strength 
attainable by the unassisted 
powers of man. The state- 

B 



a.f^ 



2 CYCLING. 

ment is true In the sense which the Professor ho doubt attached 
to his words, that neither the stature nor the speed of man had 
improved since Homer's day ; ^ but it is no less true that a 
man by his unassisted powers can propel one of the machines 
with which we are now familiar at a pace which would have 
put Achilles to shame, and over distances which would have 
utterly amazed the heroes of the Homeric world. The circum- 
stances attending this revolution — for such indeed it is — cannot 
be considered unworthy of record, and the following pages are 
an attempt to perform the task. 

England may be looked upon as the home of cycling ; the 
national habit of organisation which our countrymen possess in 
an eminent degree, and the national love for every form of 
strong personal exertion, combine to make it a pursuit in every 
way adapted to the taste of our people. The shady lanes of 
the south country, and the hilly roads of the north, appear to 
offer equal attraction ; and now, though scarcely ten years 
have elapsed since the first bicycle made its appearance, there 
are few districts in which some form of cycle is not a familiar 
object 

In the streets of our great cities and in highways and 
byways throughout the land, carriages, swift and serviceable, 
propelled by the power of human muscles alone, have become 
common. The sight of a traveller of either sex, seated on a 
light machine, and proceeding with considerable rapidity and 
apparently but little exertion, is so usual that the wayfarer hardly 
turns his head to look at the accustomed sight. Yet it is but a 
very short time ago that the passage of a cyclist was wont to 
produce an exhibition of considerable excitement, and some- 
times even demonstrations of hostility. 

It is however not only as a means of locomotion that the 
cycle has produced a change in this and many foreign countries. 
The manufacture of these carriages has caused a considerable 
trade to come into existence, and a new and very exciting 

1 In recent times, however, the records have improved year by year both 
in walking and running. —Ed. 



IXTRODUCTORY. 3 

mode of racing has been added to the sports of the world. The 
historian of cychng has therefore something to say of it as a 
trade, as a sport, and as a pastime : beyond this, again, there is 
something to be said as to the social organisation to which it has 
given rise, and the not inconsiderable industry to which the re- 
quirements of the cycling public give employment outside the 
limits of the cycle-builder's factory. It is difficult to say, with 
any approach to accuracy, what number of persons come within 
the designation of cyclists. In the year 1885 I set on foot 
some inquiries which led to the conclusion that they then 
numbered not far from 400,000. The estimate is a rough 
one, but it must still not be considered quite in the light of a 
random guess ; for it is founded on the reports of an organisa- 
tion of which the reader who will accompany me through the 
following pages will hear a good deal— viz. the Cychsts' Touring 
Club, a body which has chief officers in every large town, and 
minor officials in every considerable village in England, and 
is therefore quite able to make an approximate estimate suffi- 
ciently accurate for our purpose. 

The volume now in the reader's hand is designed not only 
to interest the general reader, but to form a useful handbook 
for all who are interested in any of the various ramifications of 
cycling. The intending purchaser may consult it as to the 
points about which he should satisfy himself before concluding 
his bargain. The racing man will find his prowess recorded, 
and be able to fight his battles over again ; the tourist 
will discover all that can help him to prepare for his in- 
tended outing, the advice given being founded on the ac- 
cumulated experience of many predecessors. The young ama- 
teur who possesses a turn of speed, and proposes to become 
a candidate for the honours of the 'cinder-path,' will find minute 
directions as to his training and general preparations. The 
mechanic, and the rider who is interested in the details of 
the construction of his machine, will read descriptions ol 
all the processes by which iron, steel and silver are made to 
assume the shape of the graceful piece of mechanism which 

B Z 



4 CYCLING. 

adds so largely to the power of locomotion possessed by unaided 
muscles. 

Though there are many fancy varieties which do not come 
under either category, cycles fall generally into two divisions, 
those with three wheels and those with two. Riders also 
arrange themselves into two sharply defined classes : the 
speedy bicycle rider and the more staid possessor of the tricycle. 
The racing man comes in as a connecting link between the 
two ; for almost as many races are ridden on one class of 
machine as on the other. The enormous improvements intro- 
duced within the last year or two in the tricycle have made 
the tricycle as available, if not quite so speedy, as the bicycle 
for racing purposes. As regards speed, there is a consider- 
able, though not an overwhelming, difference between the 
two. A really first-class bicycle rider — anyone, that is, who is 
sufficiently prominent in the pursuit to hold his own in a 
long-distance championship race — can travel, when at his best, 
considerably over twenty miles within the hour; only one 
tricycle rider has yet accomplished twenty miles in the hour. 
But it has been done several times by tandems. It is evident 
that machines which can maintain such a rate of progression 
must be sufficiently fast to make a race between well-matched 
competitors amusing : and those who have been fortunate 
enough to witness a well-Contested race will be the first to testify 
that it lacks none of the elements of excitement and of sport. 

One of the questions most frequently asked by those who 
intend to purchase a machine is. What pace can a reasonable 
person expect to get out of it ? and what distance can con- 
veniently be covered in a day ? The answer naturally varies 
very much according to the strength and skill of the person 
interrogated ; but it is a fair question and deserves a candid 
answer. The Records Committee of the National Cyclists' 
Union can show duly authenticated performances which the 
average rider can only look at with respectful astonishment ; 
300 miles have been ridden on an ordinary high road by a 
wonderful young athlete on a bicycle, within twenty-four con- 



IXTRODUCTORY. 5 

sccutive hours, and 264 miles have been covered on a tricycle 
within the same time. A hundred miles have been travelled 
by a bicyclist on a cinder racing path in 5 hrs. 50 mins. 5? sees. 
Fifty miles were ridden by Messrs. A. J. Wilson and G. P. 
Mills, on a tandem, in 2 hrs. 46 mins. 3 sees., along the Great 
North Road. The ' best on record ' for a single mile at the 
moment these lines are penned is, for a bicycle 2 mins. 3it- 
sees., and for a tricycle 2 mins. 41 1 sees. Before this book 
is in the hands of the reader these time'^ will very likely have 
been surpassed ; for every day sees new and important, though 
minute, improvements in the construction of machines, and 
though riders may not be better than their predecessors, they 
are good enough to take advantage of all improvements that 
are offered to them. But the foregoing of course are extra- 
ordinary performances. The question is what an ordinary 
mortal can do. 

One of the writers jointly responsible for the present work 
— need it be concealed that it was the author of this introductory 
chapter ? — lately asked his colleague, in a careless manner, the 
following question : ' How far ought an ordinary man, in fair 
condition, to be able to ride easily in a day ? ' And the other 
made answer and said, with the air of a man who was absolutely 
giving himself away : ' If he intends to keep it up, say, for a 
week, he ought only to do a moderate day's work on the first 
day — say a hundred, or a hundred and twenty miles ; of course, 
you know, he can increase his distance as he gets into condition.' 
The present writer agreed with the speaker. 'Yes,' he said, 'a 
man ought to restrain his ardour at first ; he ought not to 
attempt to do more than a hundred and twenty miles on the 
first day.' He refrained from confessing, though perhaps it 
was disingenuous to do so, — that he himself looked back with 
some exultation to his own 'best on record,' which amounts to 
thirty-six miles in one day, and he takes this opportunity of 
copying from his private journal a few lines which have uncon- 
sciously assumed the form of an affidavit or vow. They run as 
follows : 



6 CYCLING. 

And the said deponent further maketh oath and saith, that if 
he, the said deponent, siiadeiite diabolo^ shall at any time hereafter 
attempt to cut, break, surpass, or otherwise defeat, the said record 
of thirty-six miles in one solar day, he hereby giveth to any witness 
of such attempt, be the said witness credible or otherwise, free 
leave to mention the fact. And the said deponent doth further de- 
clare, that he is credibly informed, and doth sincerely believe, that 
many persons who make a great fuss about cycling have never done 
so much. 

But this is a digression : there is no use in saying that 
sort of thing to a man who has ridden a hundred and forty-six 
miles in ten hours, and who holds half a dozen championships 
besides. A moderate rider, not being an athlete or a flier on 
the one hand, nor exceptionally weak on the other, can, when 
he is in practice, get over in an hour seven or eight miles of 
ground on a tricycle and from nine to ten on a bicycle without 
much exertion, and can keep it up about as long as he could 
comfortably walk with the same amount of exertion, say four or 
five hours. But there are many who cannot do so much as that, 
and who still manage to get a good deal of amusement out of 
their pursuit. Persevering riders cover enormous distances in the 
course of a year; and as most of them keep some sort of riding 
journal, we hear from time to time what their performances have 
been. A letter now before us from Mr. Whatton, a \vell-known 
member of the Cambridge University Club, contains the following 
paragraph : 

The year has been memorable to me as an individual in one or 
two respects. The early part of it saw the completion of twenty 
thousand miles of cycling, the work of eight years' pleasure — plea- 
sures such as no other bodily exercise, unless it be racquets, can, in 
my opinion, approach ; and, of course, that lacks the great glory of 
cycling, the multitudinous opportunities it adds for an intellectual 
and may one add— a spiritual appreciation of life. 

This is the proper spirit in which to look at the pastime 
of cycling as it may be followed by ordinary individuals, though 
it is not everyone who can ride twenty thousand miles. It 
iSj however, not only for amusement that cycling is avail- 



IXTRODUCTORY. 7 

able ; both in the pursuit of hcaUh and of business it is of 

great value. In many parts of the country labourers are 

able to live at a considerable distance from their work, and 

mechanics are to be seen in considerable numbers with their 

tool-bags slung at their backs riding home at the end of 

their day's labour. Not only does this imply a saving of rent^ 

for it is chenper to live in the country than in the crowded 

town — but it is a distinct gain both in health and, in many 

instances, in sobriety as well. The 

wife and children of a mechanic are 

sure to be more healthy if they live 

in the pure air of the country than in 

the crowded streets of a town. Rates 

and taxes are less ; and, as regards 

sobriety, a man who has to make his 

way home over ten or a dozen miles 

of road will be pretty sure not to 

handicap his chance of a safe arrival 

by lingering too long at the public- homeward bound. 

house. In Coventry, which may be 

looked upon as the peculiar home of cycling, it is fast becoming 

the custom for workmen to go home on their bicycles during 

the dinner-hour. 

As a vehicle for business purposes the tricycle has even 
a larger future before it than the bicycle. It will carry a 
considerable quantity of luggage, and can be drawn up to 
the side of the street and left unprotected until the owner 
returns. 

The number of shopkeepers who employ the carrier 
tricycle for the purpose of distributing their parcels, or circu- 
lating daily supplies to their customers, is steadily increasing. 
The milkman, the newsvendor, the butcher, send an active 
lad on their daily rounds. For light parcels it is especially 
adapted, and there has even been lately a talk of establishing in 
London a service of tricycle cabs — machines something like 
Bath chairs with a rider behind. 




8 CYCLING. 

One is tempted to say with Horace : 

Illi robur et aes triplex 

Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci 
Commisit 

But hold : ' pelago ratem ' will not convey my meaning ; 
and I fear 'Pall-Mallo Bath-chairum' would neither scan nor 
construe. Harrogate, well known to cyclists as the scene 
of the Annual Cycling Camp, has already shown the way in 
this respect. There the terrors of the streets are disregarded; 
even the steep pitches of the hills appear to have no deterrent 
effect. There among the long row of Bath chairs drawn up 
for hire may always be found three or four Coventry chairs. 
They appear very popular, and may be seen on fine afternoons 
in all the walks and drives round the fashionable watering- 
place, with their freight of invalids. If smiling faces and rosy 
cheeks may be trusted as an indication, the use of them is not 
confined to those who have the excuse of ill-health for adopting 
them. It is, no doubt, much more amusing even to an invahd 
to travel at a decent speed of six or seven miles an hour, and 
to get over a considerable stretch of road, than to crawl, at the 
pace of a walkmg luneral, backwards and forwards along the 
length of a parade. At Harrogate one sees parties of three 
or four of these machines going along in company ; the occu- 
pants of the chairs are able to converse in comfort, and the 
drivers encourage each other up the hills, which, as cyclists 
acquainted with Harrogate know, are not to be despised. They 
go long distances too. A lady, next to whom the present 
writer found himself at the table-d'hote dinner one day, men- 
tioned that she had just returned from an expedition in one of 
the chairs to Fountains Abbey, nine miles away ; and her 
driver told her that he often took his customers similar or 
even longer distances without thinking anything of it. I asked 
whether the man had dismounted at the hills, which are on 
that road long and steep ; the lady had not observed whether he 
had done so. I could not help thinking, though I did not give 
audible expression to the remark, that if the fair customer had 



INTRODUCTORY. 9 

changed places with the driver for half a mile, the hills would 
have occupied a somewhat different place in her memory. 

In our opinion, after seeing the practical working of these 
chairs at Harrogate, at any rate in health resorts where there is 
a large Bath-chair population, the ordinary form of that vehicle 
must die out. A thoughtful mind may not unreasonably wonder 
what, in that event, will become of the very old and decrepit 
persons who now man Bath chairs. The sole qualification for the 
post seems to be great feebleness and very restricted powers of 
locomotion; and it must be confessed that a Coventry-chair 
rider must be in possession of at least average physical strength. 

But, after all, great as are the advantages of tricycles for 
business purposes, their principal claim on the gratitude of 
mankind is the large amount that is added by their means to 
the sum of human happiness. No one can fail to observe that 
such is the case who will take the trouble to station himself on 
some sunmier afternoon at one of the chief arterial outlets of 
any great city, and watch the stream of people going away into 
the country for their Saturday to Monday holiday. He who 
will take his stand on the bridge at Kew, or at Highgate 
Archway, will see a perfect stream of cycles speeding away 
into the country. Not only is there a light brigade of young 
men, bent on some favourite country resort forty miles away or 
more ; but steady middle-aged citizens on sober tricycles, some 
of them on sociables, with wife or daughter at their side, are 
bound on less distant expeditions. As regards the younger 
men, it is more than probable that the light and SAvift machines 
upon which they are mounted make all the difference to them 
whether they pass the brief holiday at the week's end in the stifling 
city or among the free breezes 'and shady lanes of the country ; 
and the advantage both to morals and health can hardly be over- 
estimated. Among young ladies, too, the tricycle is a source 
of enjoyment. It is better for any young creature with sound 
limbs and healthy spirits to speed awsy over heaths and downs 
than to pore over a novel under the trees, or even to play 
lawn tennis on one eternal acre of grass-plot. It may be said 



lo CYCLING, 

that there are few country houses where some form of cycle is 
not to be found. The young ladies have their hght machines, 
the boys have their bicycles; and in the stables there is sure to 
be found a bicycle belonging to some active young footman who 
will be delighted to get the chance to carry a note and bring back 
the answer in shorter time than it would take the groom to 
saddle a horse. No one who thinks of the confined indoor life 
led habitually by domestic servants would grudge him the oudng. 

If royal and imperial example count for anything, the 
practice will soon be universal \ for there is not a crowned 
head in Europe who has not a stud of these useful iron steeds. 
Whether the grandees of Middle Europe personally career 
about the well-trimmed allees of their royal castles I do not 
know ; but we may at least, from custom and precedent, infer 
the existence in dignified leisure of many a Kaiserliche- 
Konigliche Hochoberhoffvelocipedenkurator. 

The Khedive of Egypt has several tricycles ; one in par- 
ticular, which I have had the honour of inspecting, is so 
covered with silver plating, that one can hardly see the black 
enamel it is supposed to adorn. It will doubtless come in 
handy should His Highness take it into his head to ride across 
the Bayuda Desert. He would there ' scorch ' after a fashion 
not contemplated by the North Road Club. The officials of 
that body should look to this seriously and without delay. No 
one knows more accurately than Mr. A. J. Wilson the perver- 
sity, to call it by no harsher name, of the N. C. U. executive ; 
and if any claim were founded on His Highness's performance, 
backed as it might easily be by French or Russian intrigue, and 
such c^aim were disallowed by the Records Committee, no 
one can foretell the political complications that might arise. 
' Faed ' should at once communicate with the official time- 
keeper, and arrange that at least His Highness's watch shall 
be properly compared at the Kew Observatory, under N. C. U. 
rules. Among gorgeous tricycles some of the Indian princes 
possess vehicles which will hold their own, though after seeing 
the Khedivial state tricycle, I cannot affirm that they are pre- 



INTRODUCTORY. il 

eminent. I have seen a picture in which the Maharajah of 
an Indian state, together with the British resident at his court 
(an enthusiastic cycHst whose predilections perhaps somewhat 
influenced the royal taste), and all the great officers of the 
durbar, are seated on tricycles at the gate of the palace, and 
gaze at the lens of the camera with the breathless attention 
usual on such occasions. They present an odd effect of costume. 
Wearers of shawls and jewelled turbans sit on some of the tri- 
cycles, British shooting jackets and knickerbockers figure on 
others. I understood from the possessor of the picture that 
the whole party were going out for a ' club run,' and that His 
Highness is the president of that institution. 

One of the great advantages of the tricycle over its two- 
wheeled rival is that it permits the rider to stop at will. A 
bicycle, on the contrary, only retains its stable equihbrium 
on the condition of being kept in constant motion. An 
attempt at a halt is instantly rewarded by an upset. An active 
rider can dismount very quickly ; but an elderly gentleman, 
however skilful he might be, would feel the impossibility of 
performing the necessary gymnastics if he should be so ill- 
advised as to ride a bicycle through crowded streets. The con- 
struction of the bicycle, too, makes it an impossible mount for 
ladies, to whom the tricycle offers no sort of difficulty. For 
town work and for the use of the gentler sex the tricycle is 
decidedly the more convenient machine. On country roads, 
and for young and active riders, it is a matter of taste which 
should have the preference. 

Although the advantages and pleasures of cycling are open 
to all able bodied persons, the choice of a machine is a matter 
of individual preference. Practically no one would ever 
hesitate to decide under which category, bicyclist or tricyclist, 
he himself ought properly to come. A lady, a middle-aged 
man, or a heavy father, will naturally go in for a tricycle. An 
active lad, especially if he lives in the country, would probably 
give his voice for the bicycle, unless, indeed, he had reached 
the age or attained to the condition of mind which might 



i2 CYCLING. 

prompt him to invest in a ' sociable,' on the chance of inducing 
some adorable being of the gentler sex to share his pilgrimage 
on wheels. 

There is another form of double tricycle which has lately 
come into fashion, principally as yet among racing men, in 
which two performers sit one behind the other on the backbone 
of the machine, and pedal in unison. This is known as a 
tandem. The pace to be got out of this sort of vehicle is very 
great, and it will no doubt be still further improved ; but it can 
hardly be said that to an outsider it looks very comfortable. 
There is also a horrible engine in existence known as a bicycle 
tandem. It is formed by joining the large wheels of two full-sized 
bicycles one behind the other with a stout bar of iron between 
them, on which two saddles are fitted. It is said to be capable 
of being driven at a speed exceeding anything else on wheels. 
' II faut respecter tous les gouts,' as the French proverb teaches 
us, but Providence will surely so far intervene as to prevent the 
general public from succumbing to its attractions. I am 
bound to add that, with * the owner (and inventor) up ' in 
company with some efficient coadjutor, this machine is capable 
of being so handled as almost to convince the spectator that to 
ride it is neither dangerous nor difficult ; but then Mr. Rucker 
is not only a very clever and a very persuasive gentleman, but 
a first-rate rider as well. Full descriptions of every kind of 
cycle will be found in the following pages, and it is not now 
necessary to dwell upon them at length. Almost all the 
machines that now compete for public favour partake of the 
wonderful qualities of hghtness combined with strength which 
is the distinguishing characteristic of modern workmanship. 

It is remarkable how quickly both the bicycle and the 
tricycle after their first inception assumed the form which they 
have since retained. It is hardly too much to say that no 
material change has been made in the type of either kind of 
machine, though the new 'dwarf and 'safety' bicycles may 
not improbably be found to herald a new departure. But it 
is yet too soon to speak positively on this point. As regards 



INTRODUCTORY. 13, 

the ordinary bicycle and tricycle, improvements in detail have 
been numerous and important ; subsequent makers still ad- 
here very closely to the broad lines laid down by the first 
designers. This is the more remarkable, because it can 
hardly be supposed that the original form was reasoned out 
on strict mathematical principles. It would almost seem 
that the proportions of the original design were hit upon 
by intuitive perception rather than by close adherence to 
rule. But it is a curious fact that the more the question 
is subjected to scientific investigation, the more patent does 
it become that the first attempts embodied correct mechani- 
cal ideas. Of course I speak only of the type of machine now 
so common, and not of the various 'velocipedes,' as they 
were called, which enjoyed a short-lived popularity before 
the present class of cycles came into existence. In our 
account of what may be called the history of cycling, we shall 
show what the precursors of modern cycles were like. The 
Draisnene, the hobby horse, the dandy horse, and the four- 
wheeled velocipedes, resembled the modern cycle principally in 
this, that they all alike utilise the power of human muscles as a 
motive agent ; in the principles of their construction they dif- 
fered entirely from the cycle of to-day. But when the first bicycle 
was made it came complete and perfect from the maker's hand, 
even as Minerva fully armed sprang from the brain of Jupiter. 
The new type differed from any mechanical adaptation that had 
ever been thought of before ; and the idea, once embodied in a 
machine, has since been improved constructively only ; the 
principle, so far as anything mundane can be so, is perfect of 
its kind. 

The theory embodied in the two kinds of machine is 
this : the bicycle consists of a large front wheel, with pedals 
attached to its hub, over which the rider sits and works 
upright ; his saddle is arranged on a bar of iron, which 
droops like a tail from the head to the ground, the end of 
it supported by a small trailing wheel, which bears a part of 
the rider's weight and prevents him from falling backwards. 



14 CYCLING. 

In the case of the tricycle all this is changed. The rider 
sits on a saddle suspended above the axle, between two wheels 
of moderate size ; a third point of contact with the ground is 
afforded by a smaller wheel, which, like the bicycle trailing 
wheel, bears a portion of the weight ; the third wheel sometimes 
follows, but more often precedes the other two. The rider's 
seat is arranged either slightly in front of, or behind, the axle, 
according to the position of the third wheel, which serves the 
purpose of a rudder, and gives to the machine the name of 
front or rear steerer, as the case may be. In the case of the 
tricycle, as the rider rests on three points, he need not trouble 
himself about his balance, which is secure whether the carriage 
is in motion or not. This is the main point which makes the 
tricycle easier to ride than the bicycle ; the rider need not dis- 
mount when it is necessary for any reason to come to a halt. 
He sits still and 'waits till the clouds roll by.' Nor is he com- 
pelled to maintain his balance by the sway of his body ; he sits 
quiet and guides the machine by the movement of his wrists on 
the steering gear. 

Falhng forwards from a bicycle is by no means a difficult 
exploit — indeed, the difficulty is to avoid performing it. The 
manoeuvre is so common that the pecuhar form of tumble that 
ensues is known by the distinctive name of 'the cropper,' or 
'Imperial crowner.' The habitual recurrence of the Imperial 
crowner is prevented by placing the rider's saddle a trifle behind 
the centre of gravity of the machine : his balance is secured, 
when the machine is in motion, by guiding the driving wheel 
slightly in the direction to which his weight inclines, in exactly 
the same manner as a skater executes his long and graceful 
curves on the outside edge. After a certain amount of practice, 
the skilful bicyclist ceases to think of his steering handles 
any more than a skater does of his skates. In both cases the 
steering is regulated by subtle action of the muscles, but in the 
case of the cyclist, as in that of the skater, so far as conscious 
action is concerned, his course is determined by the poise and 
sway of his body. 



INTRODUCTORY. 15 

Endless are the stones told by bicyclists of the curious and 
complicated falls which are thus executed 'over the handles.' 
Of them, as of Cleopatra's charms, we may say — 

. . . Age cannot wither them nor custom stale 
Their infinite variety. 

A few, but fortunately very few, have terminated fatally. 
More frequently the active lads who form the main body of 
bicycle riders escape with bruises only, and learn caution from 
their escapes. The Hon. Arnold Keppel, late of the Scots 
Guards, had when a lad two most remarkable tumbles, concern- 
ing which, in reply to an inquiry for particulars, he writes as 
follows : — 

In the year 1876 I was returning by night from Worthing with 
two friends to Storrington, in Sussex, where we wrre reading for 
the Army examinations. We were each riding a fifty-four inch 
Coventry Machinist bicycle. There was only one lamp among the 
party, and the owner of this was told off to ride in front. There is 
a long hill on this road, down which we had to come, and the night 
was very dark. Our friend with the lamp was fifty yards ahead, 
going at a great pace, when on nearing the bottom of the hill he 
saw a horse and fish-cart coming in the opposite direction. He 
had just time to go between the hedge and the cart. The horse 
was scared and turned suddenly right across the road. I was 
next, and, less fortunate than our leader, I struck the shaft of the 
cart fair and square. Before I had time to realise the situation I 
found myself lying in the road on the other side, the machine and I 
having fallen clear over the horse. The marvel was that not a 
bolt was sprung in the machine, and the only evidence it bore of a 
collision was a dent and scratches on the top nut of the head. I 
did not break my neck, but I broke my nose, and sustained olher 
cuts and bruises which it is needless to particularise. I must 
confess that, if I have to tumble, I prefer to take my chance of the 
vicissitudes of the hunting-field. 

The other tumble about which you ask sounds too like 'a 
yarn' for me to risk my reputation by narrating it. G. H. (naming 
a friend and relation, then a fellow-student at Storrington, and now 
an officer in the Life Guards) says positively that he saw it happen. 



1 6 ■ CYCLING. 

I cannot myself be considered an eye-witness; for I remember 
nothing till I found myself in a cottage, being '^brought to ' with 
restoratives. 

The header in question came about in the following 
fashion : — The Storrington Army students were holding a race 
meeting among themselves, and the competitors were taking 
a preliminary canter before the start, Mr. Keppel, going best 
pace through a lane of spectators, ran over a piece of coal 
which had fallen from a passing cart. The machine turned 
a somersault — so complete a somersault that the rider came 
uppermost again, and the wheel went on several yards before 
it finally fell. Mr. Keppel, though still in the saddle, was un- 
conscious of anything, as he says in his letter, from the moment 
his head and shoulders touched the earth. The handles of 
the machine were bent upwards in a very extraordinary manner. 

The sketch on the opposite page depicts a choice variety of 
the ' Imperial crowner,' which is of comparatively frequent 
occurrence. Dogs, pigs, fowls, and children share with sheep 
the honour of causing it. A course of bricks or a string across 
a road placed in the course of an approaching cyclist by playful 
youth has not unfrequently produced it ; and the British 
rough has discovered that a stick inserted into the moving 
wheel frequently inflicts sufficient damage to give the assailant 
time to escape bodily chastisement by flight. 

There seems to be hardly any limit to the skill that can be 
acquired by assiduous practice on the bicycle, and the exhibi- 
tions of address and daring w^hich sometimes take place fairly 
take one's breath away. The following appeared in the 
English 'Bicycling News ' of October lo, 1886. I reproduce it 
in a slightly curtailed form, and before doing so have had 
the curiosity to inquire whether the event referred to really 
happened. I was informed that it actually occurred as de- 
scribed, and that the machine ridden on the occasion was a 
Star bicycle ; the peculiarity of which is that the small wheel is 
in advance and steers the machine, while the weight of the 
rider rests mainly on the large driving-wheel, which is of the 










r\^^ 



>U:- 'Q^ 




oh! what a fall was there, my countrtuen ' 



INTRODUCTORY. 17 

same dimensions as an ordinary full-sized bicycle — viz. fifty or 
fifty-two inches. This make of bicycle has enthusiastic ad- 
mirers in America, and it may be noted that the extraordinary 
trick -riders Kauffman and McAnney, who exhibited in 1886 at 
the Westminster Aquarium, performed their wonders upon it: — 

A daring and foolhardy feat was performed by a bicyclist the 
other afternoon at Cabin John Bridge, near the city, says a 
Washington telegram to the ' Pittsburg Dispatch.' The place is a 
general pleasure resort about twelve miles from town, over the 
military road built by Jefferson Davis while Secretary of War. The 
bridge is said to be the largest single span of masonry in the world. 
It is 125 feet high, and about 200 feet long, a single magnificent 
arch spanning a deep and rocky gorge. A good many people go 
out there to see the bridge, and the man who keeps the little 
hotel known as Cabin John, just at the end and across the bridge, 
does a good business, especially on Sunday. Every nice Sunday 
the sheds about the place are crowded with vehicles of every de- 
scription, and sporting men, family parties, wheelmen, and gentle- 
men of leisure, are loafing about the house, getting country dinners 
or picnicking in the wild gorge below the bridge. As at all such 
places, there are always a few wheelmen lounging in and out, and a 
number of machines were stacked about the yard that afternoon, 
and a lively party within could be heard telling stories and boasting 
of their personal skill on the road. In the midst of the hilarity one 
young man suddenly came out alone, and, singling out his machine, 
mounted, and without a word rode towards the bridge. There is a 
brownstone coping on the three-foot wall on either side of the 
roadway. This coping is about a foot broad, and is bevelled on the 
two upper edges for an inch or two. On the inside of these walls 
is the solid roadway above the duct. On the outside is a perpen- 
dicular descent of about 125 feet in the centre of the bridge, and 
no less than 75 feet at either abutment. The young man stopped 
and dismounted at the end of the bridge and lifted his machine 
upon the coping. The act was noticed by a couple of gentlemen 
smoking under the trees, but it was looked upon as a freak, and no 
particular attention was paid to it. The next moment there was 
an exclamation of horror, for the young man was seen mounted 
upon his bicycle deliberately riding along the narrow coping. The 
sight froze the blood of the ladies and children picnicking in the 
g')rge below, and was enough to appal the stoutest heart. The 

c 



I-S CYCLING. 

gentlemen in front of the hotel started to their feet and called to 
the other wheelmen within. It was too late. The young man was 
already in the centre of the bridge. He never swerved a hair's 
breadth from his seat. From the end of the bridge he seemed a 
toy machine running by mechanism, so erect and motionless he 
sat, and so evenly he rode. ' Let him alone,' cried one of his 
companions, 'he could ride it if it was a rope 1 ' Nevertheless, the 
fear that interference might hasten the horror that all wished to 
prevent left the party rooted to the spot. In two places the coping 
makes a zigzag by the widening of the roadway, and at these places 
the rider must steer his wheel through a very narrow space at 
nearly right angles with his course. The daring fellow had passed 
the first of these ticklish spots, and, when he carefully wore round 
the second, not a single one of the horrified spectators could draw 
a breath for fear. From thence to the end was a short and straight 
run, and in another moment the young man had completed his 
dangerous ride, dismounted, and was waving his hand laughingly 
at the frightened men and women and children who had witnessed it. 
The young fellow calmly remounted his wheel and rode on towards 
the cily as if he had done a very common thing not worth mention- 
ing. He was induced to undertake the feat because someone had 
doubted whether he had the requisite ability and nerve to perform it. 

Kauffman and his companion McAnney mentioned above 
executed wonders almost beyond belief. One of their feats, 
though I witnessed it several times, still appears to me when I 
think of it aimost incredible. Kauffman brought into the arena 
a common strongly built kitchen table ; upon it he placed two 
chairs, one to receive the front wheel of his bicycle and the 
other the hind wheel. He then mounted on the table, climbed 
on to the chairs, and from thence slowly and carefully, with 
almost imperceptible motions, balancing his unstable mount 
the while, crept up the spokes of his machine and finally stood 
upright on the saddle, at a height of twelve or fourteen feet 
from the ground. The newspapers tell us from time to time 
that he is still performing to large and enthusiastic audiences 
in various parts of Europe, so that it may be supposed that he 
has not yet broken his neck. I asked the performer at the 
close of one of his performances whether in his learning stage 




A FOOLHARDY FEAT 



I NT ROD UCTOR V. 1 9 

he had fallen or hurt himself much — his reply was somewhat 
characteristic. ' No, sir,' he said, ' I perceived at a very early 
stage of my training that I should have " to quit falling," so 
before I went any farther I trained myself to that.' ' What do 
you mean?' said I; 'you cannot prevent an accident.' 'No,' 
said he with a smile, ' but I have trained myself so to keep 
my balance at every stage of the performance that a slip, even 
though it should take place at apparently the most critical 
point of the performance, would almost infallibly land me on 
my feet' Several times he did fall— though not in the most 
dangerous feats, which were executed with extreme slowness of 
movement and care— and on each occasion he lighted, as he 
declared he would, on his feet. 

It is needless to say that for people who are not in the 
enjoyment of that activity and elasticity which belongs mainly 
to youth, the tricycle presents many advantages. It has draw- 
backs ; the machine is necessarily heavier in itself; having 
three wheels instead of two, it offers more resistance to obstacles 
en the road ; and this is increased by the circumstance that in 
the case of the bicycle the two wheels follow each other, and 
so practically make only one track, whereas the three wheels 
of the tricycle make each a track of its own. 

On the other hand, the tricycle can be made to carry a 
considerable amount of luggage; enough may be packed about 
the body of the carriage to supply the wants of a moderate- 
minded person for a tour of two or three days or even more. 
It is quite easy to stow away a bag weighing ten or twelve 
pounds. After all, a complete suit of flannels is all that a tourist 
absolutely requires, and the weight of such a kit is hardly felt 
on a tricycle. Many enthusiastic artists carry about a whole 
photographic outfit ; and it is darkly rumoured that the mem- 
bers of the Tricycle Union, a select body who are the objects 
of a good deal of harmless 'chaff' among the main body of 
cyclists, and who love to combine various branches of science 
with their favourite pastime, secrete about the frame of their iron 
steeds all the paraphernalia of their several mysteries. 

c 2 



20 CYCLING. 

The Lite Sir Charles Napier used to declare that he con- 
sidered a soldier amply provided if he started on a campaign 
with a piece of soap and a toothbrush. A bicyclist on a tour, 
unless he agrees with the hero of Scinde in his estimate of 
what are necessaries in life, can only provide for his require- 
ments by elaborate prevision in the way of forwarding luggage 
to points ahead on the line of march. Bags christened by 
their inventors by the suggestive names of Saturday-to-Monday, 
or Multum-in-parvo, can be obtained in great variety from the 
stores of cycling outfitters. These little valises are said (by 
the makers) to be amply sufficient for the wants of a travelling 
cyclist ; but a kit, when packed in a multum-in-parvo bag, and 
strapped on the backbone of a bicycle, presents a very atten- 
uated appearance, and a man's desires must be very strictly 
subordinated to the force of circumstances if he looks on such 
an outfit as sufficient. 

One of the most remarkable characteristics of modern 
machines is the extreme lightness, it might almost be said the 
attenuation, of the parts of which they are composed. Every 
portion of the frame is made as strong and as light as possible ; 
and the greatest mechanical ingenuity is shown in adjusting the 
shape of the various parts so as to produce the maximum of 
stabihty with the least possible weight. It is an established 
axiom in mechanical construction that, weight for weight, a hol- 
low bar of proper form is stronger than solid metal. Advantage 
has been taken of this circumstance by cycle constructors ; every 
part that can be made hollow is made so, and the resources oi 
apphed mechanics are exhausted to discover the form which 
most efficiently utilises the allotted material. The rims or 
felloes, for instance, which are the steel peripheries of the 
wheels, and which serve to form the stiff and perfect outside 
of the circle, are hollow, and though the exact form varies 
according to the taste of different manufacturers, they are 
all made by passing a tube of round steel between rollers. 
of such construction that the tube is brought into a section 
of crescei\t form, the outer semilune serving for a bed tO: 



/■■;;■• i -'■■ - 




INTRO D UCTOR Y. 2 1 

contain the thick rubber tires, which are also invariably em- 
ployed. 

It is worth the while even of the most careless rider of 
cycles to pause for a moment over the construction of the sus- 
pension wheel. It is not too much to say that the ingenious 
invention designated by that name alone made it possible to 
construct the modern cycle. Before the invention of the sus- 
pension system, wheels were made of light and strong hickory 
or other wood, like the wheels of the ordinary carriages intended 
to be drawn by horses, which are still in use on the roads. In 
wooden wheels, the weight of the whole carriage rests on the 
particular spoke which happens to point perpendicularly down- 
wards, and the stability of the wheel depends on the rigidity 
of that particular spoke. Exactly the reverse of this occurs 
in the case of the suspension wheel ; in it the weight of rider 
and carriage rests on the centre of the wheel and is suspended 
from that part of the felloe which happens to be uppermost, 
by means of the spoke then most perpendicular. The weight 
is thus constantly shifted from spoke to spoke as the wheel 
revolves, and the lateral spokes, being all braced tight, prevent 
the wheel from buckhng, or getting out of shape. The result 
of this most ingenious arrangement is, that comparatively fine 
steel wire is substituted for a stiff wooden spoke, and the cycle 
wheel presents the beautiful and graceful, though apparently 
fragile, appearance which everyone no doubt has admired. 
In order to realise the magnitude of the revolution which this 
invention has brought about, it is only necessary to fancy what 
the appearance of a bicycle would be if it had w^heels like even 
those of the lightest Victoria. Some enthusiasts have seen and 
ridden upon machines made after that fashion, but if it had not 
been reformed, cycUng w-ould never have attained its present 
popularity. Mr. S. Maddison is said to have described, and Mr. 
Edward Cooper to have been the first practically to use, the 
suspension wheel. 

From the moment that the cycling Columbus broke the Q%<g 
— from the moment, that is, that the inventors of the suspension 



22 - CYCLING. 

^vheel showed how a practical carriage could be made light 
enough to be worked easily by human muscles— manufac- 
turers began to vie with each other in diminishing the weight 
of each minute part. This has been done with such assiduity, 
that at length, in the opinion of competent observers, the 
limits of attenuation have been pushed almost up to the border 
line which divides safety from instability. It is now no longer 
necessary, as it was even a cou[)]e of years ago, to enjoin upon 
the maker from whom a purchaser orders a machine, to make 
it as light as possible. He is sure to do that. The necessity 
is rather that the rider should make sure that his mount is up 
to his weight. A hundred, or even a hundred and twenty, 
pounds was recently thought a not unreasonable weight for a 
tricycle : but nowadays even these small Aveights are reduced 
by twenty or thirty pounds. The reader will of course under- 
stand that, whether the higher or the lower scale of weights is 
taken, the same type of machine will be made by a good 
builder considerably stronger and consequently heavier for a 
large man than for a small one, Indeed, to enjoy anything 
like the full amount of enjoyment that can be got out of the 
pastime of cycle riding, a man's machine should be built to 
his measure with the same sohcitude that his tailor displays in 
j)roducing his coat. It sounds, perhaps, like attributing selfish- 
ness to a very estimable class of persons to mention with appro- 
bation the fact that a practised cyclist is very unwilling to 
lend his machine to anybody else : but such is the case ; and 
though the non-cyclist may perhaps have tried a friend's 
machine without observing the look of agony with which the 
loan was unquestionably conceded, he may rest assured that, 
like the celebrated parrot, his friend, if he said little, thought a- 
good deal. 

A beginner who takes up cycling and does not at fiist 
find it as pleasant as he expected, should not give it up in 
despair until he has satisfied himself that he has fulfilled all 
the requirements which make success possible. He exercises 
a new set of- muscles, so that after his first essays, even though: 



INTRODUCTORY. 23 

he be a practised athlete, he will certainly be stiff and uncom- 
fortable. He will be certain to ride badly; he will turn out 
his toes, probably graze his ankles against the pedals, wriggle 
on his seat, twist his knees, or perform other cycling enormities ; 
but even if he did not, there are obstacles which must be re- 
moved before success is possible. Even the winner of last 
year's championship could not ride twenty miles on a saddle 
that did not fit him, and that Great Being himself would stop 
from sheer agony, exhausted and leg weary, if his seat were at 
an inconvenient distance from his pedals ; or, as he would pro- 
bably himself phrase it, if he were not placed properly over his 
work. Let not the novice, therefore, whether of the gentle or of 
the sterner sex, be too easily discouraged. Let him ascertain, 
as may be done from a book as \vell as in any other way, what 
the essentials of the situation really are, and see that they are 
complied with, before giving way to the idea, erroneous in the 
great majority of cases, that in his case cycling is a forbidden 
luxury. 

Actual demonstration and personal assistance of friends are 
useful. But almost as much is to be learned from books as 
from oral instruction. A book, unlike a friend, is always at 
hand with a complete account of the matter in all its bearings. 
IMinute particulars assume a very different relative importance 
when the subject begins to be familiar than they did at first, 
and a matter at first dismissed or disregarded as unimportant 
can be referred to at leisure and reconsidered. Besides, in a 
book the accumulated and carefully noted experience of many 
beginners has been noted. A beginner, knowing nothing of 
details, does not know what information to ask for should a 
difficulty arise; the printed friend can always be summoned, 
which may possibly not be the case with the oral adviser. 

But we are digressing from the subject of cycle building. 
The first point, as we said above, to ensure success and save a 
surgeon's bill, is to order a machine fully up to your weight, 
otherwise there will certainly be a breakdown, and probably 
an accident. Next take care that your machine fits you. If 



24 CYCLING. 

these points have been attended to, and the small amount of 
practice be taken which is necessary to accustom the muscles 
to the new labours they are called upon to undergo, there will 
be no inclination to drop the practice in disgust. 

Though we are not now going to enter into a disquisition on 
the mechanical theory of progression as exemplified in cycle 
riding, it w^ould be w^ell that every rider and purchaser of a 
machine should keep the first principles of that theory in his 
mind. 

Those who wish to pursue it in detail cannot do better than 
consult the work of Mr. Warner Jones, a writer who very ably 
unites practical cychng and theory; to his scientific little 
treatise we refer readers interested in the mathematical bearings- 
of the subject, 

It will be sufficient for our present purpose to note that the 
science of progression as regards cycling, as in all applications 
of mechanics, consists in a due apportionment of quantities in 
an equation, which deals with the three factors, weight, force, 
and time. A machine with a rider upon it offers a certain 
weight or resistance to be moved. If the strength that the 
rider can put forth be measured, and his weight and that of his 
machine be ascertained, it only remains to calculate to what 
distance the force at disposal can move the w^eight in a given 
time. 

If, when a carriage is in miotion, it is desired to quicken 
the pace, the force employed must be increased : because, from 
the conditions of the problem, the weight is a fixed quantity 
and the time within which it is to be moved is diminished. 
But in the case of a rider who is already putting forth all his 
strength, the force cannot be increased ; therefore, as he cannot 
increase the driving power, the rider must have a lighter 
machine, or be content to go more slowly. Every alteration of 
one factor is obtained only at the expense of another ; increased 
resistance from hills, for instance, requires more power or less 
•speed, probably both ; and when, in cycling phrase, the rider 
lias 'put in all he knows,' he comes to a standstill. 



INTRODUCTORY, 25 

Hills are not the only obstacles that have to be overcome 
in cycling ; and when the mud, ruts, stones, and the general 
surface of the road have to be taken into account, all these 
may be classed under the general name of resistance to the 
performance of the work required. The best solution of the 
equation is to reduce the weight of the cycle to the lowest 
point consistent with safety ; to build the machine so as most 
eflfectually to minimise the friction of the road ; and to utilise 
in the best possible manner the strength exercised by the 
rider. 

The first point in designing a machine is to make it of 
such form that it shall offer the minimum of friction, and sup- 
port the weight of the rider in an attitude which will enable 
him with the least effort to put forth all his strength. 

A man's natural means of progression are designed by 
nature in such a manner as to afford him a power of advancing 
under all the circumstances under which he is likely to be 
placed. This is a roundabout way of saying that the human 
leg is, so to speak, a compromise that fulfils varying and some- 
times opposite requirements. It, or rather we must say they, 
are not constructed especially for speed : a pair of them will 
carry their possessor, though with varying rapidity, along a level 
road, across rough ground such as a swamp or a Scotch moor, or 
up an Alpine mountain. The bicycle or tricycle is designed 
to help him along under one condition only ; that is, over a 
moderately even road. An athletic man, putting forth all his 
strength, could perhaps walk five miles along a level road or 
three miles across a stretch of grouse ground, within the hour. 
Mounted on a bicycle, he could go fifteen or even twenty miles 
in the same space of time ; but if, still mounted on his bicycle, 
he transferred the scene of his operations to the moor or the 
mountain side, he would not advance a mile in a week. Yet 
the amount of force expended, supposing that he puts forth 
his utmost strength, must in each instance be the same ; and the 
motion of his legs, whether in walking or in cycling, is sub- 
stantially the same. The human limbs practically act like the 



20 CYCLING, 

spokes of a wheel, the thigh joint representing the hub, the leg 
on which the walker stands is the spoke perpendicularly beneath 
the centre ; when he advances, the hindmost leg comes forward, 
and as the centre of gravity is shifted the human wheel rolls 
forward through a certain portion of its periphery. The same 
action takes place when the man travels on a tricycle, only in 
that case vrith the same amount of exertion he goes faster, 
because he has employed mechanical devices to overcome 
friction. Instead of taking a succession of springs and shifting 
his balance at every forward step, he has interposed between 
himself and the ground a continuous bearing surface, namely the 
tire of his cycle wheels ; he has substituted a steady mechanical 
pressure for a forward jump, and his weight, steadily supported 
over the centre of gravity of the carriage, leaves his legs free 
to exert their strength to the greatest advantage, and adds 
momentum to his course in the exact direction of motion of 
the machine. 

It hardly needs proof that if mechanical means are to be 
adopted to reduce friction, a wheel of some sort is the best 
device. It therefore only remains to consider what the size of 
the wheel is to be. The exact dimensions depend on the size 
of the obstructions that have to be overcome. A large wheel 
overcomes an obstacle more easily than a small one, as may be 
easily seen by moving the wheel of a child's toy cart against a 
brick, and then moving a carriage-wheel against the same 
object. The small wheel will stop dead short, and the larger 
wheel will mount over it, because in the first instance the whole 
or the greater part of the circle is behind the point of impact, 
and in the other a sufficient part of the circle is in front of 
the point of impact. This is not a scientific statement, because 
it does not take into consideration all the conditions stated, 
but it is sufficiently accurate for our purpose. 

In practice, obstacles likely to be encountered on the road 
will probably not exceed two, or at the most three, inches in 
height. It is to be hoped that few stones of that size are ever 
found on a road : at any rate, if any are so placed the road 



^: 






^,^\s^=Sl (f^ 






|!S\ 



1 ^v.«. .^•. r^j 





1, I 



INTRODUCTORY. 27 

surveyor of the district ought to be summarily hanged. If ruts, 
mud, or anything else is encountered which exceeds three 
inches, the best plan for the cyclist who is condemned to meet 
such obstacles is to get off and walk till he reaches a part of the 
road that is under the management of a surveyor with some 
Christian feeling. But while the wheel must be made sufficiently 
large to surmount ordinary stones with ease, it must not be 
larger than is absolutely necessary ; for not only is a large 
wheel unduly heavy, but it offers more surface to the wind — and 
wind is almost harder for a cyclist to encounter than a rough 
or hilly road. The limit of size as regards bicycles is affected 
by another consideration — the length of the rider's leg, and 
the limit of size in bicycle wheels is practically governed by 
that consideration. The same condition is also present in the 
case of tricycles, though in this case other circumstances must 
also be taken into account. The tricycle rider should when 
silting on the saddle, with his leg extended to the full extent, 
have the pedal on which his foot rests three or more inches 
from the ground, in order to clear the inequalities of the road. 
Mathematical considerations, with which we need not trouble 
the reader, show that the centre of a wheel which will support 
the weight of the rider in such a position as to enable him 
to put forth his utmost strength should be about 24 inches from 
the ground. The saddle on which the rider sits is raised a 
few inches above the axle of the wheels ; and as a matter of 
practice a 48-inch wheel has been found a convenient size. 
Recent experiments seem to indicate that a wheel of 40 inches 
in diameter is even better than 48. The decision will no doubt 
be made in the case of each rider on considerations which vary 
with individual tastes and requirements. There are some among 
the exponents of cycling who are hotly in favour of wheels greatly 
larger or smaller than this standard, just as there were, in the 
country discovered by Captain Gulliver, Bigendian convicts who 
were undergoing punishment for obstinately cracking the large 
ends of their eggs. But of their opinions we need take no note. 
Mathematical reasoning has also determined the theoretical best 



^a. CYCLING. 

position for the smaller wheel of the tricycle, as may be seen at 
large in Mr. Warner Jones's volume. 

Up to a very recent period it was not possible to adopt 
the mechanical device called ' gearing up ' to the bicycle ; con- 
sequently it was necessary to have the driving wheel as large as 
possible consistently with the pedal being within easy reach cf 
the rider's foot, in order that a single revolution of the wheel 
might cover as large a space of ground as possible. Any dimi- 
nution of size of wheel necessitated faster pedalling or slower 
speed. Now that a means has been found to gear up bicycle 
wheels to any required pitch, the large wheel is no longer found 
essential, and a change has apparently set in in favour of small 
wheels. Numerous forms of dwarf bicycle have lately appeared, 
and the marvellous performances that have been made by their 
aid on the road shows the value of the change. 

We shall describe farther on the construction of ' dwarf or 
' safety ' bicycles, as they are sometimes indiscriminately called. 
But the two terms are by no means convertible. Many of the 
dwarf bicycles now offered for sale, though they have merits of 
their own, are anything but ' safeties.' It is true that if you 
tumble you do not fall so far as from a high bicycle. Still one 
class alone, that known as the ' Rover ' type, offers immunity 
from the dreaded 'header.' And a machine of that type is now 
offered by a great many of the leading manufacturers. It is 
very desirable that the two terms ' dwarf and ' safety ' should 
not be confounded. 

The term * gearmg up' occurred a few lines back ; as 
it is a phrase which will often meet the eye of a reader of 
this book, it may be as well to explain the meaning of the 
term. It is a well-known principle of mechanics that by the 
use of large and small toothed wheels acting upon each other, 
power may be obtained at the expense of speed or speed at the 
expense of power. This principle has been adapted recently 
both to bicycles and tricycles. The revolutions of the driving 
wheels can be increased as compared with the pedals, or 
diminished, at the will of the rider, who by the turn of a. handle 



JXTRODUCTORY. 29 

or the movement of a lever can throw either speed or power 
gear into action. Many machines are now furnished with ap- 
paratus by which the rider may drive his wheels * level,' that is 
one revolution of the wheel for one of the pedal ; ' up,' by which 
one revolution of the pedal produces more than one revolution 
of the driving wheel, resulting of course in increased speed ; or 
' down,' by which a revolution of the pedal produces only a 
part of a revolution of the driving wheel, and power for hill 
chmbmg and the like is obtained, at the expense of speed. 
This is a practical exemplification of the truth stated above, 
that when one factor of the equation, viz. the strength of the 
rider, is a fixed quantity, either speed or power must be sacri- 
ficed when the other conditions of the problem are varied. 
But this part of the subject will be more fully treated in future 
chapters ; it is only necessary here to say that the proportions 
and general form of the tricycle rest, not on caprice nor on 
mere guesswork, but on defined and well-understood rules. 

When cycles began to increase and multiply in t?ie land, it 
was natural that the riders of them should organise themselves 
and assume a corporate existence for mutual support and 
defence. This was no doubt a matter of more urgent necessity 
in the early days of cycling than it is now. Cyclists were at 
first looked upon with distrust, if not with positive dislike. It 
is possible that bicyclists, who were the earliest exponents of 
the art, were more aggressive and made their presence felt more 
acutely than is now the case. It was some time before horses 
got accustomed to them, and at first it was the fashion among 
some of the younger men to cover their coats with braid and 
blow bugles in the streets. The dislike with which they were 
regarded, if not deserved by the great majority, was in some 
instances sufficiently well merited. But these customs have 
long been things of the past. Cyclists now behave with the 
decorum of judges on the bench ; the equine race seems to 
have made up its mind that there is nothing in it ; and even in 
the wildest districts of the country the half-brick of welcome is 
now seldom heaved at the cycling stranger. 



30 ^ CYCLING. 

Though the number of wandering cyclists increases year by 
year, it is probable that none of them will ever again undergo 
the experience of an early martyr in the cause, who roused the 
wrath of the driver and guard of the St. Albans coach ; the 
latter worthy provided himself with a lasso, and when the 
cyclist tried as aforetime to race the coach, he found himself 
dexterously lassoed and dragged in the mud. That guard is 
reported to have discovered by practical experience that a 
cyclist is a being not outside the protection of the law, and the 
incident is geneially supposed to have contributed consider- 
ably to the development of the institution, then, and for a short 
time afterwards, known as the Bicycle Union, now merged in 
the larger and more important body called the National 
Cyclists' Union. 

The organisation which was at first necessary for defence 
was continued for convenience ; and side by side with it there 
grew up another institution called the Cyclists' Touring Club. 
They are independent of each other, but work together very 
harmoniously. The N. C. U. (for convenience' sake, the two 
ruling bodies areahvays spoken and written of by their initial 
letters) undertakes the legislation and legal defence as well as 
what may be called the police of cycling, while the C. T. C, as 
its name implies, attends to everything that conduces to the 
comfort of cycling tourists. 

The cycling public, constantly moving along the roads and 
streets, finds itself in contact with all bye-laws and regulations 
which affect locomotion. The N. C. U. have been able to 
establish the fact that it is for the public convenience that 
they should be consulted whenever Parliamentary or local 
legislation deals with the question of street traffic. The relations 
between cyclists and the railway companies present another 
subject of attention ; and the organisation of racing, race 
meetings, and championships, together with the legal business 
just mentioned, affords constant employment to the Executive 
of the Union. 

The work of the Union is divided into two main sections : 



INTRODUCTORY. 31 

first, the representation of cycling in its relation to Parliament, 
to other Ri)orts, or to the general public ; and, secondly, the 
internal regulation of cycling itself. The first embraces all 
legal matters concerning the cycle and its use on public roads 
and highways ; including questions relating to rights-of-way, 
legal obstruction, gate tolls, assaults, and other things affecting 
wheel riding throughout the country ; the second embraces the 
promulgation of rules and regulations for racing, the establish- 
ment and management of the amateur bicycle and tricycle 
championships, and the general supervision of the innumerable 
complaints and appeals which incessantly arise. 

A very successful system of local self-government has been 
adopted, by the formation throughout the country of Local 
Centres, by means of which the Union maintains its central 
control without losing the practical usefulness which can only 
be acquired by detailed local know^ledge of men and things. 
Several of these centres have been formed in the great centres 
of population throughout the country, and have worked well in 
practice. The Union is governed by a council, composed of 
members of affiliated clubs, together with the honorary secre- 
taries and chairmen of the Local Centres. The operation of 
the Union being intended for the benefit of cycling as a whole, 
no direct personal benefit is obtained by membership : it 
differs in this respect considerably from the other great cycling 
organisation, the C. T. C, in which membership certainly does 
secure considerable advantages. 

We have mentioned that the unit of formation from which 
the National Union has been formed is the Cycling Club. 
Almost every town and large village has one of these institu- 
tions, which are formed according to the exigencies of local 
society, and flourish in proportion to the energy of the elected 
captain and honorary secretary. Each club, provided its rules 
are in accord with the model rules formulated by the National 
Society, has the right to send, in proportion to its numbers, one 
or more members to the Council of the Union. 

The Council meets at stated intervals and forms a very real 



32 CYCLING. 

and workable Pari ament for the discussion of cycling affairs. 
The national love for discussion, and the considerable aptitude 
for speechifying shown by many of the members, find full oppor- 
tunity of exercise at the monthly meetings, and the temptation 
to a somewhat florid and lengthy style of oratory is found by 
many ardent spirits too great to be resisted. Time fortunately 
will not permit questions of mere detail to be discussed, and 
only matters in w^hich some principle is involved are put on 
the agenda paper ; details are left to the consideration of an 
executive elected from among the members, which meets 
weekly at headquarters. Before this body are brought in the 
first instance all complaints, appeals, and projects of cycling 
legislation. The system, order, and expedition with which 
a large amount of detail is examined and disposed of offers 
an example which might without any disadvantage be followed 
by more pretentious assemblies. The National Union rests on 
the widest basis of publicity, and commands general allegiance 
and support. There was a time, it is true, when it was 
threatened with dissensions from within. This danger was, 
perhaps, almost inseparable from the constitution of the society. 
The original organisation belonged to bicyclists, who were first 
in the field, and who, in fact, began to organise themselves 
before tricycling was invented. But the development of 
tricycling brought another and, as a rule, an older set of men 
to the front, who were not quite ready to acquiesce in the 
leadership which priority of possession had placed in the hands 
of their juniors in years. Beati possidentes was not unnaturally 
the motto of the bicyclists, and the situation was one which 
at first presented some obstacles to harmonious working. It 
seemed possible, at one time, that tricyclists would break off 
and form an organisation of their own. But wiser counsels 
prevailed, and the united association has now for some ^-ears 
past offered a solid front to the world. A large, and perhaps in 
the eyes of some persons an undue, amount of the attention 
of the executive is taken up with racing ; but this is not to be 
regretted. Even those who do not care for racing in itself 



INTRODUCTORY. 33 

may agree that the racing path is the place where a new inven- 
tion is sure to be tested to the utmost ; and if the invention be 
really an advantage it will be adopted. The opinions of the 
best riders and the keenest wits are concentrated upon it, and 
if it successfully undergoes the severe tests to which it is sure 
to be subjected by racing experts, it will certainly be adopted 
by manufacturers, to the manifest advantage of the general body 
of riders, who, if not so assisted, would have had to wait long 
ere the natural conservatism of the workshop was overcome ; 
for new patterns mean fresh outlay of capital, and the re- 
modelling of existing traditions. 

While the National Union takes under its cognisance the 
police, the legal defence, and the legislation of cycling, there 
devolves upon a kindred, but at the same time quite a separate, 
institution, the care of individual comfort The C. T. C. exists 
for the mutual aid and protection of those among its members 
who travel along the Queen's highway, and sojourn temporarily 
in the towns and villages along its course. Although the rules 
of the Club contain the usual provisions for the election of 
President, Vice-Presidents, and other officers of a large organi- 
sation, all these dignified posts are vacant, and the club 
flourishes under the control of an energetic and most efficient 
secretary, assisted, rather than controlled, by a somewhat 
shadowy council. It is true that at long intervals, once or 
twice a year, the secretary is called upon to meet the council of 
the club. He often passes through several — perhaps eight or 
nine consecutive — mauvais quarts dlieure de Rabelais^ during 
which he listens, not unmoved, to the botded-up grievances of 
20,000 members, detailed by their choicest grumblers. But, 
like the lead-keeled racing yachts that one sees in the Thames, 
he lies down on his beam-ends and lets the storm blow over 
him. When the council adjourns, the Secretary resumes his 
sway, and continues to rule despotically — till next meeting. 

The Touring Club, like the National Union, was in the first 
instance founded by bicyclists. It was formed in the provinces 
in the year 1878, and was enlarged to include tricyclists in 

D 



34 CYCLING. 

1882. The defined objects of the club are to promote touring 
by bicycles and cycles amongst amateurs (a term which has sup- 
plied an endless source of dispute both to the N. C. U. and the 
C T. C), and arrange for mutual defence, assistance and support. 
The plan of operation is as follows : a map of the British Isles 
is divided into districts, twelve of which are in England, 
four in Ireland, and seven in Scotland, and each is placed 
under the charge of an officer called a Chief Consul. This 
consular system is quite original. The Chief Consul, chosen 
always for his special knowledge of the requirements of 
cycling, selects assistants, known as Consuls, from among 
the local members of the club, in the towns and villages of 
the district. He also appoints hotel headquarters, conducts 
correspondence with members asking information, attends the 
meetings of the Council, and generally is responsible for the 
interests and working of the club in his immediate district. 
Consuls acting under the direction of their chief give informa- 
tion as to the state of the roads, and the places of interest 
within the district, to any member applying for it. They are 
expected to assist the Chief Consuls in filling up any vacancies 
that may occur in the list of hotels or repairing smiths, to look 
up subscriptions in arrear, and to secure new adherents for the 
club. All this organisation having been achieved, the chief 
consuls, consuls, hotel headquarters, recommended houses and 
repairing smiths appointed, the result is embodied in a hand- 
book, convenient for carrying in the pocket, which, after being 
carefully revised every year, is supplied to members at a 
nominal charge. In any strange place, if a member's machine 
breaks down, or he is assaulted, or in any way wronged, even if 
he is only benighted, he sees by a glance at his handbook who 
is the nearest friend to whom he can apply, where he can sleep 
and eat, and where he can get his damages repaired. The 
cases are few within the British Isles where a member of the 
C. T. C. cannot get all his wants supplied by his own club, 
within four or five miles distance from the place where any 
misadventure occurs to him. A member wishing to travel 



INTRODUCTORY. 35 

in any direction through the country, apphes to the Chief 
Consul of the district through which his intended journey hes, 
and obtains every information necessary respecting roads, 
hotels, best route to pursue, &c., besides being speeded on his 
way by the Consuls of the chief towns through which he passes : 
for part of a Consul's duty is to keep a watchful eye to the 
comfort and interest of any touring members who may be 
temporarily sojourning in the hotel headquarters. These last 
are by no means the least important part of the organisation ; 
the club has either headquarters or recommended houses in all 
the chief towns and large villages of the kingdom. Recom- 
mended houses, as opposed to hotel headquarters, are houses 
which can in many cases hardly be designated hotels. Some- 
times they are snug roadside inns in remote country villages. 
In such places it is often of great importance to the wet or 
belated traveller to find rest, refreshment, and recognition, 
even though a sanded parlour may be the only sitting-room, 
and a smiling maid may represent boots and waiter. The 
proprietor of a C. T. C. house enters into a contract with the 
club, specifying that he will at all times 'receive and entertain 
any members of the club, whether ladies or gentlemen, who 
produce a valid ticket of membership for the then current 
year, and that he will charge them a tariff of prices,' which the 
contract then proceeds to set forth. 

These agreements are mutually beneficial. They suit the 
innkeeper, because to him it means practically the monopoly of 
the trade to be done with cyclists, the number of whom would 
hardly be believed. Many hotels fell into sleepiness and decay 
when railroads took the place of coaches, and have now through 
the medium of cycling tourists revived, and do a profitable 
business, though teams of galloping posters have disappeared for 
ever. But the arrangement is by no means one-sided. The cyclist 
also profits by it. He is a new creation ; his wants are novel 
and strange, and a specimen of the class descending on an 
hotel not specially prepared for his reception would probably 
cause more consternation than delight. The cyclist's hours 

D 2 



36 CYCLING. 

are uncertain ; he is as likely as not to arrive in the middle of 
the night, or long before breakfast. Whatever the hour of his 
arrival, he is quite certain to be very tired, very hungry, and very 
hot. He will have very little luggage ; and though he should 
arrive at midday, he will certainly want to go to bed ; not 
necessarily to sleep, but for the practical reason that bed is the 
best place for him to wait in while his clothes are being dried. 
To the good people at a cycling inn, these vagaries are the 
merest matters of routine ; equally a matter of course is the 
request of the guest to be called and have breakfast ready at 
an unearthly hour of the morning ; for the favourite plan of 
the younger spirits, who go careering over the country at the 
rate of eighty or a hundred miles a day, is to get over thirty or 
forty of them before breakfast. Great is the convenience to 
these young athletes of finding houses all over the country at 
which their requirements are studied, and their arrival hailed 
not only with cheerfulness but with welcome, and many are 
the travellers who have found the little silver badge of the 
club a passport to cheery kindness, which no agreement for 
special tariffs would alone suffice to secure. 

Nor is it only the young athletes of rapid journeys and 
abnormally early hours who may benefit by the C. T. C. agree- 
ment. It is not necessary for a member to avail himself of all 
his privileges. Older and more steady-going persons, as well 
as those of a higher social grade, may wish for more accommo- 
dation and a more diversified table, and so may not choose 
to avail themselves of the special tariff; yet if the cychst be 
journeying for health or pleasure, which I take to be the 
true definition of touring, he will not carry any considerable 
quantity of luggage, and the demands on the resources of his 
hostelry will not differ much from those of his more rapid 
brother of the wheel. Every one in fact who uses bicycles 
or tricycles and who takes pleasure in wandering by road and 
lane may at some time or other find himself glad to take 
advantage of the C. T. C. arrangements, which place at his 
disposal skilled assistance and intelligent comprehension of his 



INTRODUCTORY. yj 

wants. Half-a-crown a year can hardly be considered an ex- 
orbitant sum to pay for tliese advantages. The Club last year 
numbered over 20,000 members. 

The only obstacle that I know of to the use of the cycle 
becoming universal in this country, is that year by year the 
roads seem in many parts of England to be getting worse and 
worse. But, as we shall have occasion to point out further on, 
even in that respect there is likely to be improvement. A revolt 
against the present system of road repair and road surveying is 
being organised, and is likely to have a considerable success. 

In fact, among the best of the works that have been accom- 
plished by the two cycling organisations is the change which 
they are attempting in the direction of road reform. Their 
efforts are young as yet, and there has not been time for more 
than an attempt to rouse pubhc opinion. But it has been a 
move in the right direction, and it is to be hoped will bear 
fruit ere long. No one who knows what our highways were in 
the coaching days can deny that road-making has greatly de- 
teriorated since then. In many districts it seems to be almost 
a lost art. Any local busybody is considered good enough 
to act as road surveyor, and apparently the very last thing that 
occurs to those who appoint the road surveyor is the necessity of 
inquiring whether the candidate knows anything of road-making 
or not. Yet every one must admit that it is an art ; and an art 
that requires a considerable amount of study to acquire. 
Everybody is interested in having good roads, yet our highways 
are allowed to go from bad to worse. What is everybody's 
business is nobody's business ; wasteful, futile, and ridiculous 
methods of road repair are allowed to continue, till even the 
tradition of good road-making is well nigh lost. McAdam, the 
great father of our road- making system, used to say that no stone 
ought ever to be cast upon a road, for the purpose of repairing 
it, which could not be put in a man's mouth. The reason is 
obvious ; small stones under the pressure of the traffic fit each 
other's angles, and in a short time form a mass nearly as hard 
as solid granite. Large stones, on the contrary, leave great 



38 CYCLING. 

gaps between their angles which hold the wet and break up the 
roadway, and, finally grinding upon each other, force the upper 
layer out above the surface. Carriage wheels are thus alter- 
nately lifted up into the air and brought down with a jerk, till 
the whole surface of the road is roughened. Not only is the 
present plan inefficacious, it is expensive as well. Twice as 
much material is used as would make a good roadway, and 
repairs have to be done very much more frequently than would 
be necessary if a proper system were adopted from the first. 

Though the whole community are interested in the good- 
ness of the roads, it is easy to see that the man who is dragged 
through ruts and over stones by the labour of his horse is not 
quite so keen in his appreciation of a bad road as the man 
who feels its effects in an aching spine and twisted muscles. 
So cycling roadsters, after a considerable amount of preliminary 
growling, have girded up their loins for action. At the begin- 
ning of 1885, or the end of 1884, a meeting was called by the 
Birmingham Local Centre of the N.C.U. to discuss the question, 
and, if possible, devise a remedy. Somewhat to the surprise of 
those who called the meeting, it was attended not only by cyclists, 
but by horse-owners and horse-users in considerable numbers ; 
and it was generally agreed, after lengthened dehberation, that 
the law was not so much at fault as the administration of it. 
The great difficulty was, and will no doubt continue to be, to 
get public opinion to bear upon a matter of rather dry detail. 
I venture to suggest the formation of a National Society for 
road reform, and I am sure that we can promise the hearty 
co-operation of a large body of cyclists to anyone sufficiently 
patriotic to set the scheme on foot. The Birmingham meeting 
made a small, but only a small, beginning. Eight road surveyors 
were summoned for neglecting to keep their roads in proper 
repair. The magistrates, who were informed that the prosecu- 
tion was undertaken in no spirit of vindictiveness, but only to 
test the state of the law, eventually gave the defendants time 
till the second week of February in the following yeai, 18S6, to 
put their roads in order. I have not learnt what the result 



INTRO D UCTOR Y. 39 

of the proceeding has been, or whether the Birmingham roads 
are any better than they were. In any case a national move- 
ment is necessary if anything is to be done on an effective 
scale. Since these lines were in type the N. C. U. have ap- 
pointed a special Committee to act jointly with a similar Com- 
mittee of the C.T.C., and the joint Committee have commenced 
active operations under the title of the ' Roads Improvement 
Association,' which earnestly requests advice and co-operation 
from influential members of the two cycling institutions.^ 

Several meetings have been held in various parts of the 
country, pamphlets on road repair have been circulated by the 
N. C. U. and C. T. C, and the work is being pushed steadily 
ahead. With the Halesowen precedents to quote, the road 
surveyors in many districts are listening to the N. C.U. requests 
for the improvement of the highways. 

That something worth doing could be achieved if proper 
action were taken is proved by the following instance. In the 
Donington Trust road, at about the time when the old road 
trusts came to an end, it was found that on the highways which 
for the last six years of the trust had been in the skilled hands of 
a civil engineer instead of a non-professional road surveyor, an 
annual saving had been accomplished of over 267/. per annum 
over twenty-six miles of road ; while at the same time the roads 
were so much improved that a horse could draw twice as great 
a load as before. 

It is now about four-and-twenty years since the old Turn- 
pike Trust Acts began to expire. Sir George Grey was then 
at the Home Office : about the same time the formation of 
highway districts became permissive. Owing to that permissive 
character, and to the fact that the rating in unions and parishes 
is very unequal, only about one-third of the parishes in Eng- 
land are included in highway districts. From the year 1864 
annual Turnpike Trust Continuance Acts have been passed. 
In the Bill of 1870, a clause threw the maintenance of the 

1 The result has been the formation of an Association for Roads improve- 
ment, under powerful auspices. 



40 CYCLING. 

disturnpiked roads, of ^vhich there were at that time about i,8oo 
miles, not upon the parishes through which they ran, but upon 
the highway districts, wherever such existed. The entire cost 
thrown upon the county rate by the Disturnpiking Act has 
been computed at 200,000/. annually, and in many districts 
the highway rate has been increased threefold. 

It will thus be seen that there are plenty of anomalies to be 
dealt with and many hardships to be redressed by the action 
of such a society as we have suggested. 

That part of the cycling sport which relates to racing no 
doubt appears to assume, from its public character, a degree 
of importance disproportionate to the numbers of those who 
engage in it. Yet it is well worthy of attention, being both 
amusing in itself and productive of great good to the general 
body of cyclists who care nothing about racing. It is on the 
racing path where new^ inventions are tried, and improvements 
accepted. 

If a new machine or a new detail for adding to the efficiency 
of an old one passes the fiery ordeal of the cycling experts, it 
is sure to come into favour with the outside cychng public 
within a short time. A cycling race meeting is in itself a spectacle 
w^ell worth seeing. We cannot help thinking that many who 
know and care nothing about such meetings would, if once they 
attended a good one, think well of the sport they afford. The 
pace is good, indeed considering the distances run it may 
fairly be called unequalled. The best horse ever foaled would 
be beaten to a hopeless standstill not only by the winner, but 
by the last man who passes the post in a fifty miles champion- 
ship race. Still more would this be the case if the race were for 
a distance of a hundred miles ; in fact, recorded times of horses 
and cychsts show that after about twenty miles the horse 
slowly but surely falls behind. 

The racing path is usually a cinder track, about a quarter 
of a mile in length, and square, or rather oval, in form. Owing 
to the high speed maintained the corners must be rounded off, 
even though the general shape of the ground should be square. 



IXTRODUCTORY. 41 

The cinder track is carefully prepared, and on the morning of 
a considerable race meeting presents a beautifully firm and 
even surface. The distances are scrupulously measured at a dis- 
tance of one foot from the inside of the track, and a small block 
of wood, let into the turf at the side, records the number ot 
yards from the starting-post. These permanent marks are 
necessary, because at all race meetings, excepting only the 
annual championships, each competitor is allowed by the 
official handicapper of the N. C. U. a certain number of yards 
start, according to the nature of his public performances. 
In championships all start level, and if, as is generally the 
case, the competitors are sufficiently numerous, the races are 
run in heats with seldom more than three competitors in each. 
The result is that in races of five or ten miles the best men 
left in, who perhaps have to compete in two heats and a final, 
have to cover a great distance at top- speed before their evening's 
work is over. The tricycle 25 miles championship of 1885 
was one of the prettiest contests ever seen. It was fought out 
between G. Gatehouse, of the Cambridge University Bicycle 
Club, and R. H. English, of the North Shields B. C. 

The scene of the contest was the ground 'of the Cr}^stal 
Palace, where the track lies round the ornamental water 
known as the Intermediate Lake. The ground slopes sharply 
up from the track in all directions, making a large amphi- 
theatre of somewhat more than a quarter of a mile in dia- 
meter. On the north side nearest to the Palace are situated 
the grand stand and various other buildings which are used 
by the spectators or the competitors. A little on one side are 
the stands allotted to the press and the public, and further 
on again are the dressing-rooms in which the competitors 
arrange the shower-baths, rubbing-rooms, and other toilet 
requisites dear to the athletic mind. This description will 
stand with few variations for that of most of the tracks where 
cycling races are decided ; but it is rare on this or any other 
path to see a contest such as that of which we are now speak- 
ing. It is not unusual for one or other of the competitors 



42 CYCLING. 

to decide on riding a waiting race. The leader not finding 
himself pressed, does not hurry himself — a comparative term, 
not inconsistent with the keeping up of a good steady pace of 
eighteen or nineteen miles an hour. The result is, or so say the 
public (who could not themselves go ten miles an hour to save 
their lives), a slow race. But in this particular instance nothing 
of the kind took place. Both men started at a pace which 
was simply astonishing. In a few minutes, competitors, noted 
for their powers of speed and endurance, were left hopelessly 
behind by the two riders who alone, as was seen from the 
first, w^ere 'in it.' Mile after mile was passed in the fastest 
time on record, and still the speed of these marvellous young 
athletes kept on undiminished. Twenty-four miles and three- 
quarters were thus covered, and the leaders never at any time 
were more than three yards apart. They occasionally passed 
each other, and in the intervals the leading man had his opponent 
close to his hind w^heel. The spurt which the winner put on 
at the end of the last quarter-mile, which landed him the 
winner by a few yards, was a sight to be seen once in a lifetime. 
]\Ir. Gatehouse has since ridden twenty miles and more — the 
details will be found farther on — within the hour on a tricycle ; 
the first who has ever performed the feat, though it has been 
done many times on the bicycle. 

I never can understand why cycle racing has not yet 
become more in vogue than it is among fashionable people, 
who are always on the look-out for some new excitement. 
The scene is generally a pretty one, the grounds on which the 
meeting is held are usually picturesquely situated, the racing is 
first-rate, and, unlike some other competitions of which we 
occasionally hear, one may be perfectly certain that the best man 
will win. 

It is greatly to the credit of cycling that nothing in the 
nature of a ' ring ' has ever been allowed to be established. There 
is little or no betting, and there are none of the sights which 
make many racecourses, especially racecourses in the vicinity of 
towns, unfitted for the presence of ladies. They are meetings 



INTRO D UCTOR Y. 43 

purely for sport, and if once their attractiveness was discovered, 
I do not doubt that they would take a very prominent place 
among the sports which people crowd to see. 

So jealous have cyclists been as to the purity of their 
favourite sport, that a battle royal has been waged in recent 
times on the subject which no doubt has occasionally attracted 
the reader's attention in the newspapers, and caused him to 
wonder what all the disturbance was about. It is that w^hich 
is known among cyclists as the ' maker's amateur ' question. 
One of the fundamental canons of cycling law is, that no man, 
calling himself an amateur, may compete for a money prize, or 
in any way make a money profit, out of his cycling prowess. 
If he does, he forfeits his amateur status, and can thenceforth 
only race as a professional. Makers of cycling machines 
naturally look upon it as of great importance to have their 
machines ridden by the best performers, and to see them win 
as often as possible. To build a machine good enough to win 
a championship race is the best form of advertisement that 
could possibly occur to a maker, and he would adopt any 
honourable means of achieving that distinction. This is only 
reasonable, and indeed praiseworthy ; but it came to pass 
in process of time that a line of conduct was adopted which, 
though not discreditable to the makers, who might naturally 
be supposed to do the best they could for their own interests, 
was not quite so worthy of praise when practised by racing 
cyclists. A class of men calling themselves amateurs and com- 
peting in amateur races, were known, or at least shrewdly 
suspected, to accept money from manufacturers for riding their 
machines. If anything of the kind was really done, it was 
obviously a matter very difficult to detect, and also one that 
was very unfair to the real amateurs who raced for a love 
of the sport, and for honour and glory only. The latter 
were at a great disadvantage ; occupied during the day in 
business pursuits of various kinds, they were unable to give 
the same exclusive attention to training as those who devoted 
their time to it professionally. Besides, amateurs naturally 



44 CYCLING. 

wished to keep amateur races to themselves, not merely for 
social reasons, but because it might reasonably be supposed 
that persons who would race under false colours would not 
improbably carry their inaccuracies even farther. The result 
was a series of protests, an examination by a committee of 
the N. C. U., and the disqualification of a considerable number 
of the racing men whose names had been prominently men- 
tioned. 

Besides the amateur performers, there is, especially in the 
Northern and Midland counties, a considerable professional 
body, to whom, as to professionals in other sports, the rules 
about money prizes and gate-money do not apply. It is, how- 
ever, remarkable that the best performances of the professionals 
do not, except in a very few distances, exceed that of the 
amateurs. Cycling is not like billiards, in w^hich professional 
performers are far and away in advance of all competitors. 
The performances of amateurs surpass at most distances those 
of their professional rivals, and, as a rule, at distances over 
twenty-five miles up to a hundred the record is held by 
amateurs. 

I do not know whether any other opportunity will present it- 
self of discussing a subject on which a considerable amount of 
nonsense is occasionally talked. I mean the possibility of applying 
electricity to tricycles. We often read that such a machine is 
on the point of being perfected, and there follows incontinently 
a great deal of quite unwarranted speculation in the newspapers 
as to the way in which the new adaptation of motive power will 
revolutionise locomotion. Fancy runs away with enthusiastic 
scribes, who declare that a man will be able to run from the 
Land's End to John o' Groat's, surmounting the most difficult 
hills that are encountered on the way, with an ease greater than 
the most accomplished cyclist can now attain to. This assump- 
tion is altogether beside the mark. The truth is that it would 
be quite easy to construct such a carriage, but that, as far as the 
ordinary cyclist is concerned, it would be absolutely useless 
when made. As a toy to run over a track, fitted beforehand 



INTRODUCTORY. 45 

with the necessary apphances, or between two points at which 
ample engine and electrical-power was available, the design of 
such a carriage would present no difficulty. I will produce a 
dozen members of the ' Dynamicable Society ' who will be 
happy to construct one at the shortest notice. There is only 
one objection. It would be utterly useless when made. It 
would not pay. That is, for the same expense that the cost and 
maintenance of it would require, greatly superior modes of 
locomotion could be provided, whether horse or steam power, 
that would be available for general use, instead of the extremely 
limited service which could be obtained from the electric 
machine. The limitations of which I speak depend on elec- 
trical considerations which may in future be somewhat modified 
but can never be entirely removed. It must be clearly under- 
stood that I am not speaking of electrical traction generally, 
in which I am a firm behever, and which I think is destined 
at no distant time to revolutionise our known modes of loco- 
motion. I speak only of electrical traction as applied to tricycles 
such as are now in ordinary use. 

The reasons on which these remarks are founded will 
be better understood if we examine the conditions on which 
electrical traction is possible. To make an electrical carriage 
travel you must have two things — (i) a motor to communicate 
motion to the wheels, and (2) either a dynamo or a battery of 
electrical storage cells popularly known as accumulators, to 
communicate energy to the motor, and (3) a steam engine or 
gas engine, to drive the dynamo, and charge the accumulators. 
It would be impossible in practice to carry on the tricycle itself 
a dynamo to impart mechanical energy to your motor, because 
the dynamo must itself be driven by a gas or steam engine, and 
if you employed either the one or the other, it would be easier, 
cheaper, and more economical from a mechanical point of view, 
to drive by steam or gas power direct, without any dynamo at 
all. Besides, the weight would put an engine and dynamo out 
of the question for a tricycle. Accumulators only need be taken 
into consideration. 



46 CYCLING. 

The electrical energy to be obtained from a given accumulator 
is proportionate to the weight of the metal plates forming the cell. 
At present one of the best known and trusted forms of storage cell 
in the market is that known as E.P.S. : the cell made by the 
Electric Power and Storage Company. I do not say it is the best. 
Who shall decide when doctors disagree ? I am myself inclined 
to believe, and indeed have reason experimentally to feel 
convinced, that we can get a greater power in proportion to 
weight than is given by this cell ; but in our present state of 
electrical knowledge the E.P.S. is a fair cell to take as a 
standard. A single E.P.S. cell is known when fully charged to 
give one electrical horse- power of energy for one hour, with a 
weight of between 70 and 80 lbs. If used at full powder for an 
hour this cell wnll run down, and will have to be re-charged 
from a steam-engine and a dynamo before it is again used. If 
used at half-power the cell w^ould last without re-charging for 
two hours ; and so on in proportion. 

Suppose the w^eight of your tricycle to be 90 lbs., and a 
single cell, or a lot of small cells, to be 70 lbs. ; your motor 
and machinery could not possibly be less than 50 lbs., w^hich 
makes up 210 lbs. Taking the rider at ten stone, the total 
weight to be driven w^ould be at least 350 lbs. ; and as an 
ordinary cyclist finds it as much as he can conveniently do to 
propel his own weight and a machine of 80 lbs., we may fairly 
assume that the electrical tricycle would require half a horse- 
power to drive it efficiently. The one horse-power of electrical 
energy at the rider's disposal would therefore last about two hours, 
and would then be exhausted. 

For electrical reasons, it would be requisite to have more 
than one cell, because you could not get the full amount of 
efficiency out of your motor unless it w^as wound in such a 
manner as to take a current of higher tension than w^ould be 
given by a single cell. But it is not necessary to go into that. 
I assume that one horse-power for one hour can be got with a 
weight of 70 lbs. If at any time the electrical energy fails, 
the rider will be obliged to drive by his unassisted exertion a 



INTRODUCTORY. 47 

machine of 210 lbs. ; which, as any cyclist knows, would be too 
much for the strength of any ordinary person. The ordinary 
machine weighs no more than between 83 and 90 lbs. 

But the contingency of the electric energy failing would 
occur as a matter of course at the end of a couple of hours, 
for by that tmie the stored electricty would be exhausted. 
Unless at the end of that time the traveller was fortunate 
enough to find himself in the immediate neighbourhood of 
some person possessed of (i) a steam-engine, (2) a dynamo, 
and last, but not least, the accommodating disposition which 
would prompt him to place these advantages at the disposal of 
the passing cyclist, he would have to stop, or else trust to his 
muscles. Even if a good Samaritan with an engine and dynamo 
were available, the traveller's troubles would by no means be 
at an end ; for he would have to wait while his accumulators 
were being re-charged. This is a long process taking eight 
or nine hours. If his two hours' run had taken him twenty 
miles from home, by the time he started on his journey for 
another stage, he would have been ten hours on the road, and 
would have travelled at the average speed of two miles an hour. 
At this rate he would take nineteen days, travelling day and 
night, to go from the Land's End to John o' Groat's ; and as the 
distance has already been performed in five days and some 
hours on a tricycle, and in even less time on a bicycle, the 
existing record time would not be broken by such a perform- 
ance ; and to do the journey even in nineteen or twenty days 
he would have to provide an engine and dynamo ready to his 
hand at the end of every twenty miles ; which is absurd, as 
the great mathematician Euclid learnedly remarks in his cele- 
brated thesis 'De ponte asinorum.' 

Doubtless it would be open to the owner of the electric 
tricycle to disregard electric horse-power, and proceed on his 
journey by the aid of such man-power as nature has gifted 
him withal ; but in that case he had better discard his electric 
carriage, and get a lighter one. It is possible, no doubt, that 
in the distant future, the use of electricity may be so generally 



48 CYCLING. 

diffused that accumulators may be found everywhere available 
and ready charged ; as a glass of beer and a crust of bread and 
cheese are now. It is, however, hardly worth while to specu- 
late about possibiHties which depend for their fulfihuent on a 
total reversal of the present habits of the people. 

As regards the construction of an electric carriage, there is 
really no insurmountable difficulty whatever. It is quite pos- 
sible that along given lines of road electric carriages, whose 
arrivals and departures: are carefully arranged for beforehand, 
may travel expeditiously and economically, but that has nothing 
to do with what men usually mean when they talk of electric 
tricycles. 

It is also quite possible that even now a proprietor or manager 
of works where steam and electric energy are always available 
and constantly in use, and who has a round of twenty miles or 
so to make every day, might conveniently adopt an electric 
tricycle as a means of locomotion. In that case all the con- 
ditions of success would be at hand. After the daily round 
the accumulators could be re-charged ; but even here there 
is a good deal to be said in favour of a horse and a comfort- 
able carriage behind it. The insoluble problem of an electric 
tricycle may be stated in a few words as follows : How to have 
electric energy always at hand^ a7id always available. 

Among other institutions which have been called into exist- 
ence by the requirements of the cycling world, are a number of 
newspapers, magazines and annuals which deal almost entirely 
with the events and gossip of cycling life. With the exception of 
one or two which have a more stable existence, the newspapers 
die, amalgamate, and reappear in new dresses so often, that it is 
difficult to say with any certainty how many of them there are. 
In the early days, when ever)-body was learning to ride, and all 
who had taken to the wheel were busily engaged in designing 
new dresses, and inventing new dodges to add to the com- 
fort of the rider, letters, editorial comments, and leaders 
appeared from week to week which were amusing and readable. 
But the best way of doing everything was at length fairly 



INTRO D UCTOR V. 49 

established, and it became more and more difficult from week 
to week to write anything new. It was a critical time for the 
Cycling press, and it has not as yet finally discovered a way out 
of the difficulty. The imperative demand for ' copy ' is some- 
times satisfied by personalities, which are inexpressibly dreary 
to outsiders. Even more dreary are the jokes, which refer to 
persons and events not generally intelligible, and are worse than 
the personalities. There is evidence that the leading cycling 
papers have been induced, by the good sense of their editors, 
and the opinions of the majority of their subscribers, to turn 
away from these defects, and revert to the healthy condition 
wiiich distinguished cycling journalism when it was in the hands 
of a small knot of clever pioneers. As the sport spreads and 
cycling events of various kinds take place in all parts of the 
kingdom, it is increasingly difficult to supervise the lucubrations 
of an extended staff : but if cycling journalism is to become all 
that its well-wishers hope and anticipate for it, the effort must 
be resolutely made. 

The thoughtful observer may draw for himself, from the 
pages of these weekly papers, a tolerably vivid picture of the 
social organisation which has sprung up through the interven- 
tion of cycling. The first point that suggests itself is the extent 
to which club life has taken possession of the younger members. 
Almost every village now has its cycling club, and in the towns, 
the accidental camaraderie afforded by a common pursuit seems 
to have afforded just that degree of impulse which was neces- 
sary to induce the formation and preserve the cohesion of such 
associations. Apart from politics as cycHng necessarily is, and 
apart too from mere sociality, though it lends itself easily to the 
encouragement of social meetings of the youth of both sexes, it 
is difficult to find outside of cycling any inducement, operative 
all the year round, for the formation of clubs such as are now 
so common. A cricket club in January would be an absurdity, 
and, besides, cricket, good game as it is, does not include the 
gentler sex among its votaries. The reverse is the case with 
cycling ; and anyone w^ho will take the trouble to study the 

E 



so CYCLING. ' 

cycling papers in the winter time will see that not only do the 
ladies of the cycling world join in the club life to which they are 
by this means almost for the first time admitted, but they make 
their presence and influence felt in a variety of ways. In a 
number of a cycling paper now before me, dated on a certain 
winter day, there are descriptions of not one, but of half a dozen, 
dances given under the auspices of one or other of the well- 
known cycling clubs. The ladies' column, edited generally by a 
lady, does not omit to chronicle amongst other and less weighty 
matters the pretty toilettes which have figured at these enter- 
tainments, or to discuss with an authority to which m^ale writers 
could never pretend, details of feminine cycling outfit. 

Besides these dances every club has its dinners and social 
meetings of various kinds, and the speeches at these entertain- 
ments figure often at a considerable length in the cycling 
papers. It may be noted as a matter of satisfaction that, 
although all shades of pohtics must almost necessarily be 
represented at gatherings like these, the toasts and speeches 
are, without any exception that has ever come under my obser- 
vation, enthusiastically loyal. The speeches naturally refer for 
the most part to local matters, the merits of the energetic 
Captain of the club, the perfect amiabihty under provocation 
of the long-suffering Honorc^ry Secretary, or perchance the 
health is proposed of some local flier who has carried off an im- 
portant contest on road or path. These and trade advertise- 
ments, descriptions of mechanical improvements, or of patented 
nicknacks related to cycling machines, and in some instances a 
well-written series of papers on mechanics, photography, or 
some branch of physics which might prove valuable to the 
cycling public, form the staple of the weekly sheets. In the 
number which chances to be before us the festivity fixtures 
occupy a whole closely printed column. There are three or 
four columns of editorial gossip about cycling matters, not only 
in this country, but also on the continent and in America. 
Then follow half a dozen columns of paragraphs twenty lines 
long giving an account of the proceedings of the more important 



INTRODUCTORY, '51 

clubs, their dinners, elections, and preparations for the next 
season, a balance sheet of the N. C. U. Reserve Fund, with a 
stirring appeal from Major-General Christopher, a veteran who 
with almost boyish enthusiasm has devoted a large amount of 
his leisure, and his experience gained in the larger field of 
Indian administration, to the advancement of the interests of 
cycling. Then come columns devoted to the reports of ' own 
correspondents ' in the various local centres of the N. C. U. 
There is a column devoted to inventions and inventors, and a 
goodly array of illustrated advertisements which shows that the 
circulation of the paper must suggest satisfactory reflections to 
the proprietors. 

There is one reflection which can hardly fail to suggest 
itself to a recent arrival in Cyclonia, and that is the strange but 
undeniable fact that every third cyclist is a photographer. 
Perhaps photographer is too harsh a term to apply to these 
well-meaning persons ; the justice of the case would be met in 
most instances by describing them as dabblers in photography. 
They are for the most part harmless, and operate chiefly on 
each other, and on their friends and relations. It is to be 
hoped, by those who are interested in such matters, that future 
generations may not be reduced to the necessity of taking their 
iinpressions of the personal appearance of the greater lights 
of cycling from these libellous productions. The advertising 
columns of the cycling papers are full of announcements of 
photographic materials fitted for conveyance on tricycles. The 
way in which cameras fold up into impossible dimensions, and 
so to speak almost annihilate space, is among the things 
no fellow can understand. I have never myself encountered 
one of these artists at work, but I have been told that the 
camera is designed to screw on to the wheel, the machine 
itself forming a tripod stand, and that a number of sensitive 
plates can be stowed away inside the backbone, or at least 
quite out of sight : but that perhaps is an exaggeration. 

It should not be omitted while discussing the subject of 
cycling journalism that some of the periodicals are adorned with 



.5^ 



CYCLING, 



excellent illustrations. It is not so easy as it might seem — or 
if it be easy it is not often done — to draw a tricycle correctly ; 
it need not be said that any carelessness in that respect would 
not be tolerated by a society of experts like those to whom 
the artist referred to appeals, and so his tricycles, and other 
cycles too, are models of correct design, and what is more, 
the riders of them satisfy by their correct positions on their 
iron steeds the strictest requirements of the iliost classical 
masters of the art. The Christmas number of ' The Cyclist ' for 
1885, written by Messrs. A. J. Wilson and Morrison, and illus- 
trated by Mr. George Moore, illustrated in verse and prose, and 
with pen and pencil, a journey through the imaginary kingdom of 
Cyclonia. It was a clever squib on things and persons best known 
among the world of cyclists. A similar brochure has appeared 
for the year 1886. Among notable cychng productions there 
should also be mentioned one which has gone through several 
editions, and is indeed almost, as its title indicates, indispens- 
able to those who wish to understand the mechanism of tricycles, 
or to know the history of the trade — I mean Mr. Henry Sturmey's 
'Indispensable Handbook both for the Bicycle and the Tri- 
cycle.' But the bibhography of the sport will be found else- 
where in these pages, so here I will say no more. 

B. 




REST ON A RIVER BANK. 



53 



CHAPTER II. 

HISTORICAL. 



YCLING, in view of its 
recent developments, can- 
not be excluded from any 
comprehensive list of ath- 
letic sports. But at the 
same time it must at once 
be admitted that it differs 
in very many points from 
all other branches of ath- 
letics. Thus the walker, 
the runner, the jumper, 
and all other votaries of 
pedestrian sport, find their 
alpha and omega in pub- 
lic competitions, on the 
cinder path or the grass 
plot, and their exercises for the develop- 
ment of their powers, in one direction 
or another, are engaged in solely with a 
view to complete their preparation for 
some forthcoming contest. Although 
these exercises undoubtedly conduce to 
a healthy habit of body, sound wind, 
and strong, muscular limbs, yet beyond this very great gain, 
athletics, as such, fulfil no purpose of value to the community 
at large, and least of all an economic one. The cycling sport, 




54 CYCLING. 

on the other hand, has an economic side, which in real value, 
in its relations to everyday life, far exceeds the merely com- 
petitive developments of the pursuit ; and were cycle racing, 
in all its branches, utterly abolished to-morrow, the interest in, 
and more particularly the practical value of, the sport would 
still continue unabated, owing to the fact that it possesses 
certain solid advantages which really constitute the life and 
soul of its particularly vigorous and healthy existence. The 
economic side of the sport so much insisted on may be found 
in the practical use of the wheel in daily life ; its hygienic 
value as a means primarily of healthy exercise is recognised 
and proved by the personal and practical experiences of 
thousands of people throughout the world, to whom a little 
exercise, combined as it is with a little pleasurable and stimu- 
lating excitement, is of the very greatest value from a medical 
l^oint of view. Last, but by no means least, must be considered 
its great convenience in the stern business of life, whether as a 
means of economy in time or in money. The number of clergy- 
men who use the tricycle in the discharge of their parish duties, 
and find in the silent carriage, always ready at a moment's 
notice, the most useful and convenient of vehicles for their 
work, is very large ; but no more need be added to what has 
been already said as to the economic side of the sport, as the 
most casual investigation will at once demonstrate clearly the 
growing value of the machine. 

It is intended to chronicle in the following pages the past 
of the sport which promises to have so remarkable a future, 
and we may begin by remarking that the bicycle of the present 
day is a descendant in the right line of the ' dandy,' or ' hobby 
horse' of 1819, so successfully and unmercifully caricatured in 
the facetious prints of about that date. The ' hobby horse ' was a 
foreign introduction, having been brought from France, where 
its use had been almost stopped by the bitter satire and the 
fierce ridicule which met its users. The machine was intro- 
duced under the name of the ' Draisnene,' or ' celerifere,' the 
first name being derived from the alleged inventor, but probably 



HISTORICAL. 



55 



only the first introducer of the hobby horse into England, who is 
in contemporary records called impartially Baron von Draise, 
Baron de Drais, M. Draise, and is said to have come from 
Mannheim, or from Frankfort-on-the-Main. He at any rate 
introduced into England from France the 'hobby horse.' This 
machine consisted of two stout equal-sized wooden wheels 




CARRIER TRICYCLE. 

held in iron forks, the rear fork being securely bolted to a 
stout bar of wood, ' the perch ' ; whilst the front fork passed 
through the perch, and was so arranged that it could be turned 
by a handle, so as to steer the machine after the manner of a 
modern bicycle, though of course the construction was much 
more clumsy and complicated. In the middle of the perch or 
longitudinal bar was placed a cushion, on which the rider sat ; 
and just in front of this was another and smaller cushion raised 



56 CYCLING. 

on a bracket, on ^Yhich he leaned his chest. The feet, when 
the rider was seated astride this contrivance, just touched the 
ground comfortably, and he propelled the machine by running 
with long and forcible strides, the machine of course progressing 
between the strokes and of its own accord down hill. If the 
contemporary sketches are any guide, this was always done at a 
breakneck pace ; in fact, none of the earlier dandy horses had 
any breaks fitted to them, and, owing to their great weight, 
there is little doubt that they must have rushed down the hills 
in a somewhat startling manner. The exercise was, as may 
easily be imagined, by no means graceful, and those who 
indulged in it got unmercifully laughed at, one wit defining 
hobby-horse users as riding in their own carriages and walking 
in the mud at the same time. A glance at the caricatures of 
the period, of which there is a good collection in the British 
IMuseum, will show to what an extent the novel exercise must 
have been taken up. In one graphic sketch the blacksmiths cf 
a posting village are seen pursuing the hobby riders, upsetting 
them and smashing their machines to pieces with hammers, the 
inscription showing that this was done because the hobby never 
required shoeing, whilst a glance at a genuine hobby, several good 
specimens of which exist — notably a very well preserved one in 
the possession of Messrs. Goy & Co. (Limited), of 21 Leadenhall 
Street, E.G. — amply demonstrates the fact that, unlike their suc- 
cessors of 1885, the blacksmiths of 1 819 could hardly have earned 
anything for the repair of break-downs, the sturdy proportions 
of the machine looking as if they would defy all attempts to 
injure it ; albeit the spectator naturally wonders what would 
have been the fate of an unfortunate rider who got mixed up 
with the clumsy and heavy vehicle in the case of a fall. Un- 
mercifully lampooned and ridiculed, the beaux and dandies of 
the day soon dropped this somewhat laborious exercise, and 
the hobby disappeared almost entirely from public view. A 
few yet remained and were ridden by a small body of enthusiasts 
who still hoped to popularise the sport. But the jar of the 
iron-tired wheels, and the peculiarly awkward position (which 



HISTORICAL. SZ 

tended to produce hernia) soon obtained for the machine a 
very bad name, and its use gradually lapsed. Still, eleven years 
after the great hobby year of 1819, namely in 1830, it is recorded 
that certain ' improved dandy horses ' were issued to the postmen 
in a rural district, where, doubtless, they were used for many 
years, but they w^ere not replaced as they wore out, and the 
postmen had once again to trudge on foot. 

It was not until two or three years prior to the Great 
Exhibition of 1862 that the first real advance is recorded 
towards the production of the bicycle of to-day. ' Velocipedes ' 
or * carriages to go without horses,' ' manivelociters,' ' bivectors ' 
* trivectors,' ' accelerators,' ' allepodes,' had one after another 
been brought before the public, as the latest and most valuable 
invention in this direction. Some of the designs were mar- 
vellous in their impracticability. One, for example, was a full- 
sized coach with accommodation for six persons, one of whom 
steered from the box, four passengers sat inside, and the w^hole 
was to be driven by means of two foot levers dy one footman^ 
who was to stand in full uniform at the back of the coach as 
footmen usually do. This unfortunate is represented in a three- 
cornered hat and a laced coat, and cychsts of to-day will 
doubtless be ready to sympathise with the unfortunate persons 
who were called upon to attempt this light and easy task. A 
glance at some of the scientific journals of the time will show 
that in the early days of velocipedes inventors were as 
enthusiastic, in their belief in their designs, as the most 
impracticable of modern geniuses. Our manufacturers claim 
for the machines they make the highest qualities of lightness, 
strength and speed, ignoring the fact that the last named quali- 
fication depends upon the man, and not on the machine he 
rides. Inventors nowadays invariably pooh-pooh opposition, 
and assert the great advantages possessed by their last inven- 
tion ; and so, we find, did their anti-types before the bicycle 
was invented. Thus the following appears in No. 57 of the 
'Mechanics' Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal, and Gazette,' 
pubhshed on Saturday, September 25, 1824 : — 



58 CYCLING. 

Self-moving Carriage. 

Mr. D. IMcDonald, of Sunderland, informs us that he has in- 
vented a ' Self-moving Machine ' for travelling on roads, which has 
carried seven persons. It is propelled by means of treadles. A 
man sits behind working the same, and there is a fly-wheel operat- 
ing upon two cog-wheels, which operate on a square axle. You 
will, perhaps, think the man behind has hard labour— not so. 
From the velocity of the fly-wheel, together with the aid of a lever, 
which is in the hand of a person in front steering, he has not often to 
put his feet to the treadles. Mr. McDonald intends, when he shall 
have improved the friction of the body of the carriage, to present 
the same to the Society of Arts ; and as he desires to receive no 
emolument for the same, he hopes it will come into general use. 

How charming was the confidence, how great the magnanimity, 
of Mr. McDonald ! Perchance he ' improved the friction of 
the body of the carriage ' too much ; for, strange to say, it never 
seems to have come into the general use anticipated by its 
inventor. ' You will perhaps think the man behind has hard 
labour ? ' Perhaps ! With seven persons in the ' self-moving ' 
carriage it would have been doubly interesting to have heard 
the sentiments of ' the man behind.' In the same magazine, in 
its issue for September 6 of the same year, there is a record of 
another of these facetiously named ' self-moving carriages,' 
invented by a carpenter of Buckland, near Chard, which is said 
to have been of 'very light construction,' whilst 'K. W.,' a 
Welshman,' describes a lever-action machine, which accommo- 
dated two persons besides 'the one who conducted it,' and it 
is further stated by its inventor that it ' went with ease eight 
miles per hour.' This must have been under favourable circum- 
stances, say down a very steep hill, for a steep hill only would 
have sufficed to overcome the friction of the numerous cogs 
and chains introduced into the Welshman's design. All the 
* self-moving carriages ' of this early date were to be propelled 
by levers, but there seems every probability that the credit of 
first applying the crank action to velocipedes belongs to an 
English firm, as Messrs. Mehew of Chelsea showed in the 
Exhibition of 1862 a three-wheeled velocipede,, the front wheel 



HISTORICAL. 59 

steering as in a modern bicycle or the old dandy horse, the 
other two wheels, which were of course somewhat smaller, 
being placed side by side behind. This type is to be seen 
to-day in children's toy tricycles, and also at the Crystal Palace 
and other places where velocipedes are let out on hire by the 
hour. This English-made machine was fitted with a pair of 
cranks to the front wheel. 

The hobby horse of forty years before was not forgotten, 
and it is more than probable that several of the visitors con- 
ceived the idea of fitting the cranks to the dandy horse from 
seeing the Chelsea firm's velocipede at the Exhibition, albeit 
there is pretty good evidence forthcoming to prove that the 
crank had been so adapted previously to 1862. The most 
generally conceded claim is that of Gavin Dalzell, a cooper of 
Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, who is said to have constructed and 
ridden a practical bicycle in 1836. Be this as it may, the crank- 
fitted velocipede gave a hint to the ingenious mechanicians 
of this country as well as of France, and very soon crank-driven 
dandy horses began to make their appearance on the highways. 
These machines, however, were only dandy horses, and it was 
not till about 1866 that English athletes began to have any 
idea of the claims and possibilities of the new sport. About 
this date, a Parisian firm, Messrs. Michaux & Co., sent over 
to England a perfected bicycle, which was considered at that 
time the acme of ingenuity and lightness — it is scarcely necessary 
to add that the same machine would nowadays excite amuse- 
ment and derision by its weight and clumsiness. It was natural 
that the first machines imported should find their way to the 
gymnasiums, and one of the earliest arrived, in January 1869, at 
a gymnasium conducted by Mr. Charles Spencer, v/ho was 
destined to do much towards the introduction of a sport which 
has now taken so great a hold upon the public favour. The 
account which is given in an old magazine ^ of the arrival of 
this machine may be briefly epitomised as follows : 

. * Ixion. 



6o .'CYCLING. 

In the early part of January, 1869 (writes ^JohiiM., Junr.,' who 
may now be identified with Mr. John Mayall, Junr., the photo- 
grapher of Regent Street), I was at Spencer's Gymnasium in Old 
Street, St. Luke's . . . when a foreign-looking packing-case was 
brought in. . . . As the case was opened I recognised a piece ot 
apparatus consisting mainly of two wheels, similar to one I had seen 
not long before in Paris, but the one I saw in Paris was much 
smaller, and a lad being mounted upon it who drove the machine 
by putting his feet easily to the ground, I looked upon it as a mere 
jouet-d^ enfant such as the Parisians are so clever in designing. It 
produced but little impression on me, and certainly did not strike 
me as being a new means of locomotion. A slender young man, 
whom I soon came to know as Mr. Turner of Paris, followed the 
packing-case and superintended its opening ; the g>^mnasium was 
cleared, Mr. Turner took off his coat, grasped the handles of the 
machine, and with a short run, to my intense surprise, vaulted on 
to it, and, putting his feet on the treadles, made the circuit of the 
room. We were some half-dozen spectators, and I shall never 
forget our astonishment at the sight of Mr. Turner whirling himself 
round the room, sitting on a bar above a pair of wheels in a line 
that ought, as we innocently supposed, to fall down immediately he 
jumped off the ground. Judge then of our greater surprise when' 
instead of stopping by tilting over on one foot, he slowly halted, and 
turning the front wheel diagonally, remained quite still, balancing 
on the wheels. 

'John ]\L, Junr.'s ' experiences are curious as illustrating the 
fact which so few can realise nowadays, that at that time the 
possibility of remaining on two w^heels arranged bicycle-wise 
was not recognised. This writer's ideas of riding at this 
early stage were confined to a conviction that he must hold 
the handle straight, in a most unyielding manner ; but he soon 
mastered the machine sufficiently to ride from London to Red 
Hill, in an attempt to get to Brighton, and he returned from 
Red Hill by train, exhausted and covered with dust and glory. 

Such, then, was the advent of the bicycle. These earlier 
machines were of great weight and very strong, calculated to 
carry the heaviest of mortals with safety, a radical fault which 
speedily began to be corrected, the riders of the machine, 
even at this early period, having a very clear appreciation of 



HISTORICAL. 6X 

the value of lightness in the vehicles they had to propel. 
English manufacturers very soon began to take up the business, 
and, with characteristic thoroughness, went in for improvements 
from the first. Capital was invested, plant laid down, and a 
rapid change took place. The French vehicles, light as they 
were by comparison with the old velocipedes and dandy horses, 
were soon surpassed by the English-made goods. The French 
machines were indeed regarded merely as toys, and the manu- 
facturers, with the experiences of the dandy horse before them, 
thought that the new fancy would die out as rapidly as did the 
earlier one; but their English confreres with greater perspicuity 
saw that the new machine had a great future before it, and 
made their arrangements accordingly. 

The earhest enterprises of note in connection with the 
manufacture of cycles were started in Coventry. The trade 
in woollen and worsted stuffs of this city and of the county of 
Warwickshire was at one time very extensive, but it gradually 
decreased owing to the establishment of an important branch 
of the ribbon trade, employing at one time 17,000 or 18,000 
looms. This latter branch of industry had been much depressed, 
partly through foreign competition, and other branches of busi- 
ness were similarly affected. The city was therefore eager to 
welcome a new enterprise, and, the bicycle having attracted a 
good deal of attention, it was taken up by the late James Starley 
and other ingenious inventors, and Coventry soon became noted 
for the excellent machines which were despatched from its 
workshops, as they were a great improvement upon the imported 
specimens. 'The city of spires,' as Coventry is called (from 
the three spires which stand close together; two of them 
belonging to the two parish churches which stand side by 
side in one churchyard, and the third to a church long since 
demolished, the three forming a conspicuous landmark from 
whichever direction Coventry is approached) thus became the 
metropolis of the cycling trade, and the centre from which 
thousands of the best machines are distributed annually through- 
out the civilised worlds and, as a natural sequence, the head- 



62 cycling: 

quarters of the largest and most widely circulated of the many 
papers devoted to the interests of the sport, 'The Cyclist' The 
influence of intelligent manufacture, combined with the resources 
of capital, was soon recognised in the Enghsh-made machines, 
and the bicycle daily became more widely popular. In a very 
short time it may be said to have fully established itself in 
England. The three- and four-wheeled velocipedes of a former 
day fell rapidly into disuse, and the light and speedy two- 
wheeler grew as quickly in public favour. The bicycle was soon 
encountered in every part of the kingdom. Many a good 
story is told of its first appearances in out of the way places. 
Punches benighted countryman, bolting from an apparition 
which 'looked like a man a-ridin upon nawthin,' illustrated but 
one phase of the astonishment with which people regarded the 
novelty. Another amusing circumstance marked the introduc- 
tion to the bicycle of one who has since proved an ardent 
votary of the machine. The gentleman in question, having 
encountered a bicycle in the city for the first time, described, 
and eventually drew it, for the edification of a party of friends 
who were dining at his father's house. He was immediately 
and emphatically snubbed by a rude, if learned, philosopher, 
who clearly demonstrated to the entire satisfaction of every one 
present the utter impossibility of the thing described being 
accomplished. The youth, naturally irritated at the doubt 
cast upon his assertions, or the accuracy of his powers of 
observation, sought for and eventually found a rider of the 
new machine. He rapidly learned to master it, and his 
first lengthy trip was a round of calls at the houses of the 
guests at the eventful dinner party, the learned philosopher 
being of course the first visited and favoured with a practical 
illustration of the fallacy of his theories. The growth of the 
sport in public favour was very rapid, and cautious observers 
again began to remind manufacturers and cyclists of the fate 
of the hobby horse, and to prognosticate the early fall of the 
bicycle from its mushroom elevation in the minds of the 
public ; but, just at this time, when a slight lull in the interest 



HISTORICAL. 63 

occurred, the records of several feats of long-distance road-riding 
found their way into the papers, and at once opened the eyes 
of the public to the fact that the toy of the hour possessed 
solid advantages which would ensure for it a permanent place 
amongst the pastimes of the age. A machine, of whatever 
type, which would enable a man to ride forty, fifty, or even 
sixty miles in a day, with comparative ease and comfort, must, 
the observers argued, be of some service, and accordingly 
every day brought fresh recruits to the cycling teachers to 
acquire a practical acquaintance with, and take an active part 
in, the new sport. 

In the meantime the makers were by no means idle, and 
various modifications of the original machine were rapidly in- 
troduced. The large back wheel was one of the first points 
altered, the heavy solid backbone was soon replaced by a tube, 
whilst hickory wheels and iron tires scarcely survived the first 
three months ; and all these vast improvements upon the old 
machine were but embryos of the novelties of to-day. The 
heavy piece of gaspipe has developed into the scientifically 
constructed tapered backbone. The lightening of this part of 
the machine soon led to the lightening of the w^ieels, which 
began to be constructed of wire on the suspension principle, 
and known as ' spider wheels,' These soon superseded the 
dished hickory wheels, so much admired by the early riders of 
the bone-shaker. The iron tire was necessarily incompatible 
with the light iron wheel ; rubber tires w^ere introduced, and 
thus improvement after improvement was devised, until the 
invention of the step made it possible to mount still higher 
wheels. 

The pioneer makers deserve the gratitude of the cyclists of 
to-day. In very many cases it would have paid them best to 
stand still, but instead of so doing they went on improving, 
although each improvement possibly converted into waste iron 
sets of castings and elaborate machines used in construction. 
Competition was not by any means so severe in those days, and 
in most cases the makers laboured con auioi'e^ spending their 



64 CYCLING, 

time and money in carrying out experiments ' and inventing 
methods of perfecting the machine. 

Many ingenious mechanicians laboured at this time in the 
field of cycling invention, prominent amongst them being Mr. 
James Starley. Keen of apprehension, fertile in expedients, 
]\Ir. Starley had been for a long while mixed up with business 
in Coventry, principally directing his attention to the develop- 
ment of sewing machines, in which he had introduced con- 
siderable improvements. He had, in addition, invented a 
host of useful and ingenious appliances for one purpose and 
another. After a time Starley settled down in the employ of 
the Coventry Machinist Company, then devoted to the manu- 
facture of several classes of sewing machines, the trade 
having been encouraged in Coventry to find employment for a 
number of persons hitherto engaged in the watch trade, which 
was then at a very low ebb. As far back as 1865 Starley had 
made a velocipede with suspension wheels. It was not so 
marked a success as to encourage him to persevere in that 
direction, but in 1868 he saw a bicycle for the first time, a 
French- made machine having been brought to Coventry by 
a nephew of Mr. J. Turner, the manager of the Coventry 
Machinist Company. This gentleman, Mr. Rowley Turner, is 
probably identical with the ' Mr. Turner, of Paris,' who took a 
velocipede to Spencer's gymnasium. Mr. Turner was anxious 
to place an order for a number of these machines, and the 
manager of the company happily accepted it. The result was 
the foundation of the vast cycle trade now carried on by the 
company in question. 

Starley's inventive faculties were soon at work on the new 
vehicle, and he rapidly introduced many improvements, some 
of them being in small points of detail, which, however, go far 
to make up the complete sum of success. But he was not long 
alone in his work. Mr. William Hillman, now identified with 
the firm of Hillman, Herbert & Cooper, was also hard at work, 
and the trade grew in Coventry with remarkable rapidity. As 
the improved machine became daily more widely popular the 



HISTORICAL, 65 

demand increased rapidly. The Coventry Machinist Company, 
which was already possessed of works for the manufacture of 
sewing machines, took up the business energetically. Their 
first machine, 'The Gentleman's Bicycle,' was, in the early 
days of the sport, one of the most popular of mounts, this fact 
being due in a very great degree to the systematic way in which 
the vehicles were constructed, and the general all-round excel- 
lence of the work. Other firms in Coventry and elsewhere soon 
sprang into activity, and began the manufacture of the popular 
machine. Messrs. Haynes & Jeffries and several more were 
hard at work in the home of the wheel, whilst at Nottingham 
j\Ir. Thomas Humber, whose abihty has done so much for the 
Beeston firm of Humber & Co., was commencing his labours, 
his attention being even at that early date particularly given to 
racing machines. At AVolverhampton the late Daniel Rudge, 
whose business has been transferred to Rudge & Co. (Limited), of 
Coventry, was turning out some notably good machines, whilst 
Messrs. Hydes & Wigfull, at Sheffield, and many other firms 
whose work is now appreciated in the cycling world, or whose 
names have disappeared entirely from the trade, were in the 
earlier stages of their existence. So reassuring was the success 
of the machine, and so great was the demand, that private and 
public enterprise were encouraged, and plant was laid down for 
the manufacture of all classes of cycles. Nowadays the makers 
are reckoned by hundreds, and almost every town of any size 
possesses its local manufacturer, as well as the agents and 
representatives of the large firms. 

A visit to the works of Messrs. George Singer & Co., of 
Coventry, will at once give a stranger an idea of the extent of 
the cycling trade. Established in 1875, Messrs. Singer & Co. 
did not make any speciality of racing machines until the 
season of 1885, having devoted their attention almost entirely 
to turning out all classes of road machines, bicycles, tricycles, 
manumotive velocipedes, children's velocipedes, and in short 
every description, the number of patterns made being remark- 
able. The -works in Alma Street are excellently arranged 

F 



66 CYCLING. 

Entering through a large hall, partly occupied by a clerks' office 
through want of more accommodation, the visitor passes into 
the large shop, on either side of which are to be seen store- 
rooms containing an apparently inexhaustible supply of parts 
and fittings, piles of castings, bundles of steel tubing, coils of 
wire, lengths of iron material, indiarubber tires, all stacked 
ready for use ; whilst in every room not otherwise used may 
be seen, in the spring of the year, hundreds of completed 
machines packed as closely as they will go, ready to be dis- 
patched from the great packing-room across the road — which 
is the old Coventry Rink — now converted into a cycle shop, 
where machines of all classes are daily being packed and 
dispatched to every part of the globe. In the main shop, all 
the operations for the production of the various machines 
are to be seen going on with steady activity. Here is a work- 
man drilling holes in a hub with the aid of a machine which 
not only drills them at the proper angle, but spaces them as well. 
Another is running the thread of the screw on to the spoke. 
Yet another is heading them. And all these varied operations 
go on continuously and without intermission throughout the 
year. For during the dead season ]\Iessrs. Singer work hard to 
lay up the stock which is to be seen in the store-rooms early in 
the spring. The Premier Works are also extensive and very 
interesting, Mr. Hillraan being responsible for a number of 
valuable designs, prominent amongst them being that notable 
success the original ' Kangaroo Safety Bicycle,' the excellence 
of which has found it many imitators. The Premier and 
Sparkbrook balance gears were also invented by Mr. Hillman, 
and both have proved very successful. At Beeston, near 
Nottingham, Mr. Thos. Humber carries on the manufacture 
of the well-known ' Beeston Humber ' with which his name 
has been identified from the earliest days of cycling ; and 
under the eye of the original inventor, the works, a model 
of neatness, turn out the machines which have secured so 
high a reputation on both road and path. The widow of Mr. 
D. Rudge disposed of her late husband's business to a Coventry 



HISTORICAL. 67 

capitalist, who carried it on under the title of D. Rudge & Co. 
until the end of 1885, when the business, under the same title, 
was transferred to a company. The firm manufacture a vast 
number of machines of varied types, noticeable amongst them 
being James Starley's * Coventry Rotary Tricycle,' which, 
although improved in minor points, has never been materially 
altered in design since its original inventor introduced the rotary 
action into the construction of one of the earliest lever tricycles. 
The sons of Mr. Starley still carry on the cycle trade in 
Coventry at the St. John's Works, where they make another 
pattern of tricycle invented by their father, the well-known 
'Salvo,' the name being a contraction of the full title 'The 
Salvo-quadricycle.' The fourth wheel, which was merely added 
for safety, has long since become rudimentary in the shape of 
a castor at the tail of the safety-rod. This machine is fitted 
with Starley's balance gear, an invention, very widely adopted 
under a royalty by other makers, a full description of which 
will be found elsewhere. 

There are a large number of other firms engaged in the 
production of specialities, and so extensive is the industry that 
the production of minor parts and castings for the trade finds 
employment for large firms and much capital. Thus Messrs. 
John Harrington & Co., of Coventry, are devoted to the 
production of the well-known Arab cradle spring, and to the 
enamelling process which has now been adopted by a large 
number of manufacturers ; Messrs. Thomas Smith & Sons, of 
Saltley Mill, Birmingham, supply the trade with castings and 
finished parts to almost any extent ; Mr. W. Bown's ball- 
bearings have won an excellent name for themselves, and are 
largely adopted by the manufacturers ; Messrs. Lamplugh & 
Brown, of Birmingham, the cyclists' saddlers, supply the 
trade with saddle-bags and other leather goods, requisites 
which have done a great deal to make riding comfortable ; 
and a number of other instances could be given to show how 
great is the general demand in connexion with the cycling 
trade. Competition is very keen, and the result is that each 



6S CYCLING. 

maker tries to excel the others in some way. One firm makes 
a speciality of one class of machine, another of another, and 
in all cases the result is of direct benefit to the active cyclist, 
for any point which requires attention is instantly looked into 
by ingenious and clever mechanicians, and a remedy or improve- 
ment suggested. To those who have not deeply investigated 
the matter the price paid for machines seems high, but it must 
be remembered that before the cycle can be brought to the 
necessary pitch of excellence a vast amount of money has to be 
spent in experiments, and every small item of alteration or 
improvement may throw out of use machines or parts which 
lie ready to hand ; thus the manufacturer is constantly finding 
himself burdened with obsolete patterns in castings and 
machines which, but a few weeks before, represented the ' latest 
improvements.' Moreover, the skill employed in the con- 
struction of a trustworthy machine has to be paid for, and 
paid for highly. Skill has much to do with it. It is perfectly 
well known that two workmen may be working side by side 
with the same materials, and that one will make a wheel which 
may last ten years, whilst the other may make one which will 
not stay true for ten days. The exact reason is difficult to 
discover, but the fact remains ; and as no test but a practical 
one is of any service in these cases, it will be easily understood 
that the services of a good workman are not to be obtained for 
nothing, whilst a visit to one or other of the manufacturers 
mentioned above will demonstrate the circumstance that many 
machines and much skill and ingenuity have to be exercised 
before the modern cycle can be placed satisfactorily on the 
market. 

A trade thus rapidly developing necessarily implied a steady 
and increasing demand for its productions, and that demand 
could only be legitimately fostered and encouraged by the per- 
formance of some noteworthy feats upon the newly-introduced 
machine. In the earlier days of the sport, these took the form 
of long rides upon the roads. One of the first of such per- 
formances was a trip undertaken by certain members of the 



HISTORICAL. 69 

Middlesex B. C. from London to John o' Groat's House, the 
most northern point of the British Isles. The four ourists 
were Messrs. C. Spencer, Hunt, Leaver, and Wood, and the 
ride was begun on June 2, 1S73. The machines were of the 
most approved type, although of course very unlike the 
vehicles of to-day. The four adventurous riders were accom- 
panied for a few miles of their way by friends, but they soon 
distanced their escort^ and, pressing on, reached Buckden in 
the evening, having rather injudiciously ridden sixty-five miles 
in the first day, this being a very notable performance at this 
period. On the 3rd the party rode on, and, after encountering 
a rustic who upset one of their number, they eventually reached 
Newark, the second day's journey being forty- three miles. On 
the 4th, Wentbridge was reached, the distance covered being 
forty-seven miles. June 5 proved wet and windy, and the 
wayfarers suffered accordingly, only accomplishing twenty-three 
miles, and reaching Wetherby very much exhausted. The 6th 
of June was more favourable, and the party covered forty- 
seven miles ere resting for the night at Darlington. On the 7th 
Newcastle was reached, distance for the day thirty-two miles ; 
8th, Alnwick, thirty-four miles ; 9th, Dunbar : the roads and 
weather being very favourable, the riders went fifty-five miles; 
loth, Edinburgh only, in very bad weather, twenty-eight miles ; 
nth, Birnam, a journey of seventy miles, some part of it 
however being represented by the ferry across the Firth of 
Forth ; 12th, Kingussie, a good ride of sixty miles ; 13th, Moy 
Inn, forty miles ; 14th, Dingwall, a distance of twenty-three 
miles; 15th, Helmsdale, seventeen miles; and on the i6th, 
fifteen days from the start, the party reached John o' Groat's 
House, and thus brought to a conclusion the first long-distance 
road ride on record. This of course attracted a great deal of 
attention at the time, and did much to bring home to the 
observant public the real value and capabilities of the bicycle. 

In 1869, Ivlr. Mayall, Junior, after his early experiences with 
the bicycle, determined to ride to Brighton, and this he did on 
February 17 of that year. He started in company with some 



70 CYCLING. 

friends, but was the only one of the party who accomphshed 
the feat. He reached the popular watering-place in about twelve 
hours ; and it may be noted, as an illustration of the improved 
pace now achieved, that INIr. H. C. White, of the Brixton 
Ramblers B. C, has recently performed the distance in a trifle 
over three hours and a half 

The peregrinations of the members of the Canonbury CycHng 
Club, Messrs. H. Blackwell, junior, C. A. Harman, and others, 
over the London to Land's End route, the fine performances 
of the Hon. Ion Keith Falconer and Mr. Lennox on bicycles, 
from Land's End to John o' Groat's, and the remarkable 
journeys over the same route of Alfred Nixon, Lawrence 
Flentcher, and T. R. Marriott, have constantly kept iip the 
interest and served to demonstrate clearly the possibilities of 
cycling. Mr. T. R. Marriott's ride, on a tricycle, from Land's 
End to John o' Groat's, a distance but little short of 900 miles, 
in 6 days 15^ hours, is a marvellous exhibition of endurance, 
and shows what can be done on the tricycle by a good man ; 
and in 1886 George P. Mills, of the Anfield B.C., of Liverpool, 
eclipsed this grand performance by two others still more mar- 
vellous, riding on a Beeston Humber bicycle from Land's End 
to John o' Groat's in 5 days i^ hour, taking only six hours 
sleep in all e?i roiife, and within tAvo or three weeks accom- 
plishing the same journey on an Automatic tricycle under very 
disadvantageous circumstances as to wund and weather in 
5 days 1 1 hours, a performance w^hich can only be regarded 
as wonderful in every way. 

The interest excited by the road rides was soon diverted 
into parallel channels, and bicycle racing became a popular 
branch of the sport, the public evincing great interest in the 
new form of athletic exercise. Early in 1869 some cycling races 
were held at the Crystal Palace on the top terrace (the paved 
one) on which the Sphinxes stand, the races being straight 
away, without a turn ; whilst inside the Palace a velocipede 
show was held, in which were exhibited some wonderful manu- 
motive carriages, notable amongst them being an eight-oared 



HISTORICAL. 71 

boat, mounted on wheels, and propelled by levers arranged 
to represent oars, the coxswain sitting at the stern of the boat 
and steering with straps which passed to the bow, so anxious 
were its inventors to maintain the aquatic parallel. On the 
same occasion some sports took place, riders in fancy costumes 
tilting at the ring and the quintain in front of the Handel 
Orchestra. 

This description of entertainment, however, soon gave way 
to the more legitimate forms of racing, and meetings were held 
in the Agricultural Hall at Islington, and also at Nottingham, 
Wolverhampton, ar.d elsewhere. It is noticeable that the 
above race at the Crj^stal Palace was one of the first meetings 
ever held anywhere, and that the Crystal Palace now possesses 
one of the best paths devoted entirely to cycle racing, on which 
nearly all the standing records of cycling have been made. 

From 1869 until to-day the sport of cycle racing has con- 
tinued to increase in popular favour with only one slight check 
in 1883, when interest somewhat waned only to become all the 
stronger in 1884. The inclusion of cycling races in the pro- 
grammes of athletic sports has increased the interest in those 
gatherings to a marked extent, and the rapid spread of cycHng 
has of course been much encouraged by the pubHc performances 
of the racmg men. 

Thousands of followers of the sport first had their interest 
aroused by the performances of our leading path riders, notice- 
ably by the feats accomplished by Mr. John Keen during the 
time he held championship honours or shared them with 
Mr. F. Cooper, and also by the fine riding of the late H. L. 
Cortis. When that splendid cyclist first accomplished the feat, on 
which he had so long set his heart, of riding twenty miles in the 
hour, the fact was widely commented on in the public press, 
and of necessity drew the attention of many an outsider to 
the sport, whilst, as has been pointed out, the long rides of 
Messrs. Keith Falconer, W. F. Sutton, and others, attracted 
the attention of those who took little or no interest in path 
work. 



72 CYCLING. 

In the earlier days the doctors were very much opposed to 
cycling, a prejudice having arisen against it owing to the fact 
that the jerks and jars of the original boneshaker induced head- 
ache and sometimes hernia, which latter result was very common 
amongst constant users of the original hobby horse ; but ere 
long many of them saw reason to modify their prejudices 
against the bicycle. It was not, however, until the advent of 
the perfected tricycle that the faculty gave their support with 
anything like unanimity to cycling ; but when the tricycle was 
sufficiently perfected, a large number of medical men adopted 
it for their own use, and very soon saw that the sport pos- 
sessed special advantages from a merely health-giving point 
of view. Many a business man has found in the use of the 
tricycle an exercise which combines healthy exercise with 
a certain amount of excitement and novelty, an amusement 
which affords the necessary exercise without being monotonous, 
and many instances could be quoted of its value in this con- 
nexion. One will perhaps suffice. A medical man through ill 
health occasioned by a carriage accident suffered from head- 
ache and nervousness, could not bear to sit in either a carriage 
or a railway train, and often walked long distances to avoid 
the dreaded methods of conveyance. One day at a friend "s 
house he saw a tricycle, and becoming interested he ventured 
to try it. The exercise pleased him. He investigated the 
details of the machine and occasionally rode it, and one day 
awoke to the fact that he had coveted ten miles without 
suffering, although his common sense told him that there 
was more jar about it than there would be in either a railway 
train or a carriage. Confidence thus estabhshed, he purchased 
a machine and rode continuously ; his nervous affection was 
quite overcome, his own remark being that he was so concerned 
to know whether he was going to run over a chance half-brick 
in the road that he quite forgot that his head ought to be 
aching ; and he eventually was able to overcome the trouble 
which threatened seriously to interfere with his comfort in life. 
This is but one of the many instances which might be quoted 



HISTORICAL. TS 

of the special value which the tricycle more particularly 
possesses in such cases. The novelty, mild excitement, and 
gentle exercise, all combine to make the pursuit so fascinating 
that the rider becomes expert while interest in the new pastime 
is fresh, and then, being expert, finds new pleasures in the pur- 
suit. These advantages are daily being augmented by the im- 
provement in the machines used. Springs are devised which 
will all the more effectually break the shock of the road, and 
every other point is a matter of constant study. 

The popularity of bicycling in time led to the introduction 
of bicycling races, and as sketched above these events assumed 
considerable importance at athletic meetings, till eventually the 
Amateur Athletic Club decided to establish a championship, 
and to it belongs the credit of first recognising the claims of 
bicycHng by establishing a four miles ' amateur champion- 
ship,' which for some years, until the formation of the ' Bicycle 
Union,' now known as ' The National Cyclist Union,' held its 
position in the world of athletics. The following is a complete 
list of the amateur cycling champions under the A. A. C. 
dispensation. The two last races ended in walks over, and 
the contest was finally abolished in iS8c in deference to 
the expressed wish of the then Bicycle Union, which had at that 
early date secured the suffrages of the cycling public. The 
continuity of the amateur bicycle championships was assured 
when the Union took the matter energetically in hand. 

The Amateur Bicycling Championship. 

Distance 4 miles. Run at Lillie Bridge^ tinder the auspices of 
the Amateur Athletic Club. 

1 87 1. H. P. Whiting, AA.A. 16 min. 30 sec. 

1872. E. B. Honeywell, Surrey B.C. 17 min. 25 sec. 

1873. H. P. Whiting, A.A.C. 14 min. 37 sec. 

1874. H. P. Whiting, Velo sport de Paris. 14 min. 56 sec. 
JS75. H. P. Whiting, „ „ „ 13 min. 30I sec. 
1876. The Hon. Ion Keith Falconer, Cambridge U.BI.C. 

13 min. 6 sec. 
1S77. Wadham Wyndham, London B.C. 13 min. t\ sec. 



74 CYCLING. 

1878. R. R. Mackinnon, Brighton A.C. Walk over. 

14 min. 95 sec. 

1879. H. L. Cortis, Wanderers B.C. Walked over. 13 min. 

10 sec. 

This competition was then abandoned in favour of the contests 
promoted by the Union, which had been fully established. 

The popularity of the new vehicle continued to increase, 
whilst its economic capabilities were also fully recognised by 
the press. In the issue of the Daily News for August 23, 
1876, there was a leader upon the bicycle, pointing out its 
various advantages, and emphatically endorsing its claim to 
notice. It contained inter alia the assertion that the bicycle 
' ought to be regarded not as a mere plaything of the hour, 
but as a substantial addition to the conveniences of life.' A 
considerable advance this upon the 'Jouet d'Enfant,' from 
Paris ! 

C. Thuliett was about this time in England, contesting 
matches with a number of English riders which excited a good 
deal of interest and healthy comment, as any competition 
bearing an international character is pretty sure to do. On Sep- 
tember 2, 1876, Messrs. Frank Smythe and W. E. N. Coston 
(the latter afterwards became a celebrated amateur walker) 
rode 205 miles in 22 hours on the road, the actual time in 
the saddle being 17 hours 17 minutes. This feat eclipsed Mr. 
H. S. Thorp's ride from London to York in 22^ hours, the 
distance being 195J miles, which may be amusingly compared 
with the following announcement, a copy of which is still 
preserved at the ' Black Swan ' at York : 

York Four Days Coach begins the i8th of April, 1703. 

All that are desirous to pass from London to York, or from 
York to London, or any other place on that road, let them repair to 
the Black Swan in Holbourne, in London, and to the Black Swan 
in Coney Street, York, at each which places they may be received 
in a stage coach every ]\Ionday, Wednesday, and Friday, which 
performs the whole journey in four days, if God permits. 



HISTORICAL. 75 

Rides like these naturally attracted much attention, but un- 
happily, then as now, there existed a number of evil-disposed 
persons who seemed to imagine that the bicycle had no right 
upon the roads, and who constantly seized every opportunity 
of hampering and interfering with any cyclists they chanced to 
meet. One very flagrant case occurred on Saturday, August 
26, 1876, when the driver of the St. Albans coach lashed, with 
his whip, a bicyclist who was passing, whilst the guard, who 
had provided himself beforehand with an iron ball on the end of 
a rope, threw it between the spokes of the machine and dragged 
it and the rider to the ground. The driver was fined 2/. for 
the assault, and also paid the rider 10/. towards the damage to 
his machine, while the guard was fined 5/. As an outcome of 
this case ' a protection society for cyclists,' the embryo N. C. U., 
was discussed at some length in the contemporary press, but 
without producing any immediate lesult. The popularity which 
the little Surrey village of Ripley and its neighbourhood now 
enjoys (some hundreds of cyclists being accustomed to visit the 
place on holidays and such-like occasions) renders the follow- 
ing extract from a journal published in October 1876 very 
amusing : ' As some proof of the hold bicycling is taking as 
an exercise,' writes the editor, ' despite the fearful state of the 
roads and sky overhead, no less than thirteen men rode to Ripley 
and dined there on Sunday last, including two of the racers at 
the Oval on the previous day.' 

On October 9, John Keen, the then almost invincible profes- 
sional champion, rode 50 miles in 3 hrs. 6 mins. 45 sees., which 
was at that time a best on record, and welcomed with enthu- 
siasm by those who followed with interest the spread of bicycling. 
No less thau 102 race meetings were held in 1876, which 
demonstrates clearly the advance made, amounting to an in- 
crease of just 50 per cent, beyond the previous year, and the 
season closed with a marked advance in the number of cyclists 
and the interest taken by the general public in the new branch 
of athletic sport. The winter of this year was devoted by the 
wheelmen to discussion and debates, a style of amusement 



76 CYCLING, 

which, when confined entirely to one subject, soon palls upon 
the appetite, and these entertainments have long been dropped 
in club life in favour of more lively methods of passing the 
. evening. 

The year 1877 was destined to see a still more notable ad- 
vance in the sport. In February the London B.C., an association 
which has always held a foremost position amongst the cycling 
clubs of the Metropolis, decided to promote the now celebrated 
100 miles road trial from Bath to London. Although this is 
ostensibly a private, and altogether a club affair, the position 
held by the racing members of the L. B. C. has long made 
it one of the features of the earlier part of the season. A start 
is made from Bath, and the route runs through Devizes, Marl- 
borough and Newbury. It is an awkward road, having some 
very long hills and bad going, and may be considered as a whole 
a fair sample of average roadway. Racing men have not proved 
over-successful in this contest, the lighter work of the path 
always telHng against a rider whose muscles have been fined 
down at the expense of mere power, and each year has brought 
a good new man to the front. 

The following is a list of placed men since the establishment 
of the contest : 

1877. C. Walmesley ; E. Tegetmier ; A. D. Buder. 

1878. F. E. Appleyard ; W. T. Thorn ; G. P. Coleman. 

1879. A. H. Koch ; A. Herbert ; P. Dalton. 

1880. A. D. Butler only finished, owing to a violent N.E. gale. 

1 88 1. L. B. Reynolds ; A. W. Barrett ; H. R. Reynolds. 

1882. H. R. Reynolds ; G. F. Beck ; C. Newman and 

— Barker dead heat for third place. 

1883. H. R. Reynolds; L. B. Reynolds ; H. Smith. 

1884. G. F. Beck; H. Smith ; G. N. Stunt. 

1885. P. H. Watson ; H. Smith ; A. R. Ricardo. 

Out of all the above winners there are but two men who 
have come to the front on the path, viz. the two Reynolds, and 
the brothers were regarded as road riders first and racing 
men afterwards, although H. R. by hard training during one 



HISTORICAL. 77 

season did show markedly good path form. Appleyard's time, 
7 hrs. 1 8 mins. 55 sees., stood for a long while in the record 
books as the best hundred miles record on the road, and it was 
not until 1884 that it was beaten. W. T. Thorn, who finished 
second to Appleyard, may perhaps claim to be the only first-class 
racing man who has made a good show in this contest, for al- 
though Harold Smith in 1885 rode a good second, he scarcely 
held the same relative position to that occupied in 1878 by 
Thorn, who, but for Cortis, would without doubt have been 
Amateur Champion. The London B. C. Race is promoted 
privately, and must not be confounded with the numerous adver- 
tising rides which have of late years been made the subject of 
comment. It is well managed and always excites interest. Whilst 
the London B.C. was thus promoting racing,, the Temple B.C., a 
very vigorous organisation, issued a general invitation to cyclists 
to join them on their Easter tour, and a remarkably pleasant 
time was spent, the party riding along the south coast and 
being joined en route by many riders resident in the towns 
through which they passed, this being one of a series of tours 
which have always proved very enjoyable, although now that so 
many cyclists are riding general invitations are eschewed, 
especially by the Temple B. C, which has for a long time 
enjoyed the reputation of being one of the best and most 
sociable of London clubs. The rivalry between John Keen and 
Fred Cooper at this time ran high. The pair contested frequent 
races for the One Mile Professional Championship, and one 
athletic paper grumbled because ' twelve thousand people 
attended a Wolverhampton meeting to see two men ride a 
mile' — a somewhat amusing commentary on the rapid spread 
of the sport which had but a few months back been somewhat 
patronised by the athletic section. W. Tomes of the Ports- 
mouth Club succeeded, in April 1877, in beating the one-mile 
bicycle record by no less than five seconds, his record, which 
was, however, soon eclipsed, standing at three minutes five 
seconds. At the same time the cycling and general public 
were stirred up to enthusiasm in Wales by the doings of John 



78 CYCLING. 

Davis, * the cycling postman of Llanelly,' who did his work 
upon the bicycle and was reported to ride forty miles per diem 
throughout the year. * Daniel ' tried racing, but his road work 
was by no means calculated to improve his pace, and he soon 
vanished from the scene to continue his rural duties with the 
aid of his trusty and tireless steed. The West Sussex Gazette^ 
one of the largest provincial newspapers, was much taken to 
task for its assertion that 60,000 machines were in use at this 
time in the United Kingdom, and the calculation does appear 
somewhat excessive for 1877. On September 7 of this year 
the Daily Telegraphy in the course of a leader, said : ' Bicychng 
is a healthy and manly pursuit with much to recommend it, 
and, unlike many foolish crazes, it has not died out,' and during 
the following week the West Kent B. C, a leading organisa- 
tion of which the late Prince Imperial was a member, held 
a race meeting on the terrace of the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, 
at which Mr. Robert Lowe, now Lord Sherbrooke, presented 
the prizes to the successful competitors. In the course of 
his remarks he praised the bicycle as a pleasing and healthful 
method of recreation, and claimed to have ridden a dandy horse 
in the reign of George IV. ; Lord Sherbrooke differed, as will 
be gathered, from the editor of the ' Percy Anecdotes,' who 
speaks of the JNIarquess of Worcester, who lived in the sixteenth 
century, as having suggested ' that foolish thing of modern — 
though now almost obsolete— use, the velocipede.' In this 
year a bicycle with hollow spokes was ridden in a race at 
Wolverhampton, and on the August Bank Holiday the first 
meet at Harrogate was held ; the Cyclists' Camp Scheme, which 
has since become so popular, being still in niibibits. The 
Amateur Championship of the year fell to Mr. Wadham 
Wyndham, one of the most popular of cyclists, and a member 
of the London B. C. 

Even at this early date the cyclists were complaining of 
the position assumed towards the sport by the athletic asso- 
ciations and clubs ; energetic protests were made, and cyclists 
were urged to combine to promote their own championship 



HISTORICAL. 79 

contests in place of the A. A. C. competition 'with its half-guinea 
entrance fee and half-guinea medal.' 

Mr. Wyndham's was the last contested A.A.C. Champion- 
ship, as, after two walks over, the race was finally dropped in 
favour of the championships then started and since carried 
on by the N. C. U., first established as the Bicycle Union in 
1878. a complete return of which will be found in the chapter 
devoted to that body. Meets which had now become widely 
popular with cyclists also assisted in drawing public notice to 
the sport. A great gathering of riders was annually organised 
at Hampton Court. Mustering in Sandy Lane or on the 
Green, the riders started in a procession in pairs, each club 
being headed by its captain, and rode round a course previously 
set forth, some four to five miles in extent, ending at the top 
of the Chestnut Avenue, Bushey Park; this the riders passed 
down, and going to right and left of the Diana Fountain, rode 
out through the double gates and dismounted. The press and 
the public took much interest in the demonstration, which, at 
its best, attracted some two thousand riders, and the sport and 
trade received a valuable fillip just at the right time of the year. 
In the country also meets and parades were held with similar 
results, all tending to serve the same good purpose. On ]\Iay 2 1 , 
1877, the Midland Meet took place at Leamington, and this 
event has always been a notable one in the history of Midland 
cychng, attracting all the notabihties of the district, whilst 
similar meets, in Manchester, Liverpool, Brighton, Bristol and 
other places, have served to popularise the sport. May 1877 
was notable for several good road rides, which demonstrated the 
capabilities of the bicycle. On the 25th of this month, Mr. T. H. 
Wilkinson rode 200 miles over selected ground between Horley 
and Crawley on the Brighton road in 23 hours 19 minutes. 

The length of the course chosen was a little under five miles, 
and it had to be travelled some twenty and a half times. Mr. 
Wilkinson had backed himself to do it in twenty-four hours, 
and, as will be seen, he won by forty- one minutes. The Earl 
of Ranfurly and Mr. Laing were umpires. Two days later, viz. 



8o CYCLING. 

on May 27, a much better proof of the real capabiHties of the 
machine was afforded by Messrs. Meyer and Etherington of the 
Temple B. C. These gentlemen left Ockham in Surrey, and 
rode, via Guildford, Liphook, Petersfield, Havant, Chichester, 
and Brighton, to London, a distance of 151 miles, in 19 hrs. 
15 mins., the weather being very unfavourable. This route 
covers some good and some bad roads, and is, moreover, a ver}' 
hilly one, so that, though the distance was less, the feat was 'a 
greater one than Mr. Wilkinson's over a picked five miles of 
good road. 

Judged by the light of subsequent events, June 16 was a 
red-letter day in the history of cycling, as on that date the late 
]\Ir. H. L. Cortis, of the Wanderers B. C, made his debut at 
a private meeting of his own club, held in the grounds of the 
Caterham Asylum, where the future champion at all distances 
ran second in a one-mile handicap, with 100 yards start, and 
first in a five mile handicap with 350 yards start, the scratch 
man being Wx. A. P. C. Percival. Scotland, which already 
possessed a large number of fast and sturdy road riders, esta- 
blished a ten miles championship, which was contested upon 
the road, and in 1877 it fell to Mr. R. S. Bryson, a well-known 
Scottish cychst. He w^as, how^ever, at the time considered 
lucky in having got home in front of the South Country crack, 
Tslr. R. R. ^lackinnon, of the Brighton B.C., who w^as said to 
have been interfered with during the race by a horse and cart. 

This road championship has been kept up and held each 
year by the Scottish clubs, and a number of good men, a full 
return of whom will be found elsewhere, have had the honour 
of holding it. 

The ' cycling press ' w^as now^ crowded with letters suggest- 
ing the formation of unions, associations, or leagues, for the 
furtherance and development of bicycling, and letters appeared 
weekly in support of various plans for the consolidation and 
organisation of the cycling interests, with results which will be 
found duly set forth in the chapters devoted to the N. C. U. 
and the C. T. C, those great associations of which cycling is so 



HISTORICAL. 8[ 

justly proud. In this year the proprietors of ' The Sporting Life ' 
placed in the hands of the proprietor of Lillie Bridge Grounds, 
as representing the Amateur Athletic Club, which was at that 
time promoting the Four Miles Amateur Championship of 
Cycling, a fifty-guinea cup, to be run for over a distance of fifty 
miles, under the title of ' The Sporting Life ' Cup. This gift was 
duly announced to the cycling world, and was first competed 
for on October 27, when it was won by J^Ir. Harry Osborne of 
the Surrey B. C. after a very fine race. The cup was put up 
annually for a time after this first contest, but the assumption 
by the A. \. C. of the Four Miles Championship as the cham- 
pionship, and the subsequent claim that this cup represented 
the Fifty Mi^es Championship, clashed unsuccessfully with 
the claims of the fifty miles championship established by the 
Bicycle Union, and caused loyal supporters of the latter body 
to oppose the event. It eventually collapsed, and nothing has 
been heard of the cup since 1883. The following is a return 
of the winners of this trophy : 

'The Sporting Life' Challenge Cup. 

Sometimes called the Fifty Miles Cha?npio?iship. 
Value ^o guineas. Rimfoi'at Lillie B?'idge. 

1877, Oct. 27. Harry Osborne. 3 hrs. 18 min. 55 sec. 

1878, Oct. 26. A. E. Derkinderin. 3 hrs. 9 min. 56 sec. 

1879, Nov. 8. Harry Osborne. 3 hrs. 4 min. 6| sec. 

1880, Oct. 30. C. E Liles. 3 hrs. 11 min. 47 sec. 

1881, Oct. 22. C. E. Liles. 43 miles. Was stopped whilst 

riding alone in wretched weather. 

1882, Oct. 21. C. D. Vesey. 3 hrs. 10 min. 

1883, Oct. 13. F Sutton. 3 hrs. 6 min. 41 sec. 

1877 had shown a steady advance in the position of the 
sport. New clubs had been formed, more races run, and 
generally more interest awakened. The makers were reaping 
the natural results of increased demand, and everything pre- 
saged a good cychng season in 1878, Early in that year a 
good deal of fun was made out of the fact that at the annual 
meeting of the Society for Promoting the Employment of 

G 



82 CYCLING. 

Additional Curates, the Bishop of INIanchester stated that he 
understood a brother bishop had suggested the use of the 
bicycle to curates in his diocese ; the Bishop of Carhsle, fol- 
lowing in the same strain, regretting the hilliness of the country 
in his diocese, and facetiously remarking that if there ^Yas one 
thing a bicycle objected to, it was going up hill. The bishops 
only anticipated by a very few months the practical use of the 
cycle in its three-wheeled form byhundredsof the clergy through- 
cut the length and breadth of the land. 

On June lo, 1878^ Mr. F. E. Apple3'ard made his magnificent 
record between Bath and London in the London B. C. 100 
Miles Road Race, his time, as stated above, being 7 hrs. 18 mins. 
55 sees., and his actual time in the saddle but 6 hrs. 38 mins. 
55 sees., a splendid performance, more especially as for many 
riiiles towards the end of the journey the rider suffered severely 
from cramp, and on one or two occasions had to dismount, so 
great was the pain. Appleyard scarcely did anything afterwards 
to show his powers of cycling, and has long dropped out of the 
sport ; but his record was left undisturbed until 1884, when it 
fell and has since been beaten several times in open road races. 
On the day on which Mr. Appleyard performed this feat, an- 
other very well-known rider, who still takes an active interest in 
cycling, Mr. G. Pembroke Coleman, the official timekeeper 
and handicapper to the N. C. U., traversed the 100 miles in 
7 hrs. 25 mins. 20 sees., finishing third, Mr. W. T. Thorn, the 
well-known racing man, being second. Mr. Coleman's per- 
formance stamps him' as a sound and practical exponent of a 
sport in which he holds so important a post. Later in the same 
year this gentleman rode from Hayling Island to Norbiton, very 
little short of 60 miles, over some of the hilliest of Hampshire 
and Surrey roads, without leaving the saddle once during the 
journey. 

Abroad the wheel was becoming more and more common, 
and in March and April of this year a long tour was undertaken 
by a Viennese cyclist, the Baron E. von Grafenried, and M. 
Laumaille, of Angers. These riders started from Paris, and 



HISTORICAL. 83 

riding through Western and Southern France, visited Northern 
Italy and Switzerland. Their distance for 35 days is given as 
2,500 miles English, but as they claimed to have averaged 82J 
miles per day, the story must be taken cum grano. In this 
year some lengthy continental tours were also made by English 
riders, and certain members of one or two leading clubs dis- 
covered that to visit a fashionable hotel and refuse to dine a la 
carte was a somewhat expensive amusement ; witness the follow- 
ing bill which a party of them sent to the cychng press after 
their return : 

fr. cents. 

Candles for going to bed 40 



Two cold baths . 
Two fried soles . 
One cold chicken 
Ham with ditto . 
Two cups of tea 
Two cups of coffee 



5 o 
5 o 
9 o 
3 75 
3 o 
3 o 



The tourists had reached the town at 8.30 p.^r., and left after 
breakfast the next morning, their total bill for four men being 
76 fr. 50 c. All this has now been changed, and the cyclist is 
received in France at the headquarters of the Touring Club 
and elsewhere as a welcome guest. 

In this year the tricycle was first really advertised as a prac- 
tical vehicle. Messrs. Haynes & Jeffries, of the Ariel Works, 
announced the 'New Patent Coventry Tricycle,' which had 
been invented for the firm by James Starley. The ' Coventry 
Tricycle ' was the Coventry rotary tricycle of to-day, but in 
place of the rotary action it was driven by levers and steered 
with a Bath-chair handle from the front wheel. Still it found 
much favour, one or two ladies were stated to be riding it, 
whilst several tricychsts can remember their first essays on this, 
one of the earliest and best machines obtainable before the 
practical introduction of the balance gear. Long rides again 
marked the close of an important season. W. Britten, of the 
Clarence B. C, rode from the Marble x^rch to Bath and back, 
2 12 miles, within 24 hours on September 12, and in the same 

G 2 



84 CYCLING. 

month Mr. Smythe, who rode with Mr. W. E. N. Coston in a 
similar attempt some time before, again essayed the 24 hours road 
record on the Wisbech Road, and covered 218 miles ; but as 
he picked his ground, and simply traversed it over and over 
again, the performance cannot compare with that accomplished 
by the captain of the Clarence. On the 13th, the day after 
Mr. Britten's feat, Mr. W. T. Thorn, the London B.C. racing 
man, made a bold and nearly successful attempt to ride from 
London to York in the 24 hours. He succeeded in reaching 
Doncaster, 162 miles, in lyhrs. lomins. from the start, having 
thus 6hrs. 5omins. in hand in which to cover the remaining 
35 miles, and he felt both well and confident of accomplishing 
the feat, with nearly two hours to spare, when the felloe of his 
wheel unfortunately broke under him, thus destroying his 
chance of putting on a record which would have stood nearly 
as long as Appleyard's 100 miles. Messrs. C. A. E. Pollock and 
A. D. Roe, of the Cambridge University B.C., made an extended 
tour on the Continent, their total distance amounting to 1,528 
miles, their average being 64 per day, a remarkably good per- 
formance, which discounts considerably the accuracy of the 
return of the French tour already alluded to. On September 5 
an event occurred which drew a vast amount of attention to 
the bicycle. ' The Times ' on that date published a lengthy and 
appreciative leader upon the new vehicle, containing the follow- 
ing remarks upon the steel steed : 

The bicycle has come to the front, and is fighting for existence. 
Dimly prefigured in the mythical centaur, and then in the hobby 
horse of mediaeval games ; and attempted in the velocipede now half 
a century old ; long prejudiced by the evident superiority of wings to 
wheels, the bicycle has now surmounted the difficulties of construc- 
tion, and adapted itself to human capabilities — it augments at least 
threefold the locomotive power of an ordinary man. A bicyclist 
can perform a journey of a hundred miles in one day with less 
fatigue than he could walk thirty. Fifty miles — that is, from 
London to Brighton— as easy as he could walk ten ; and a daily 
journey to and fro between London and the distant suburbs with 
just the usual results of moderate exercise. 



HISTORICAL. 85 

After alluding to possible ills which might arise from indul- 
gence in the sport, the writer says : 

Bicyclists are aware they run dangers, and suffer a percentage 
of casualties ; but they have counted the cost and found it worth 
while running the risk. From other points of view the objections 
are loud and numerous, but have upon the whole a striking family 
resemblance to many former objections, such, for example, as those 
made at the introduction of railways. The chief objection re- 
appears in great force. Horses, it must be admitted, do not like 
bicycles, but neither do they like railways, and they will probably 
like street locomotives still less. 

Going at length into the question of the dangers to the 
public arising from the use of the bicycle in the public 
streets, the writer winds up a lengthy and essentially favoui- 
able article by saying : 

The legislature would be very unfaithful to the courageous prin- 
ciples which have hitherto guided it in the treatment of discoveries 
and improvements if it showed any prejudice in this matter. That 
would be a great injustice to the men, most of them still young, who 
have won for themselves a great convenience, and no less pleasure, 
at no cost whatever, it may be said, and without drawing upon the 
common fund of the food of man. Society used to be divided into 
the equestrian and the pedestrian orders : these people have found a 
third rank. Their success proves, as Johnson says, what man can do. 

Late in the year a six days professional contest was arranged 
at the Agricultural Hall, it being just after the time when 
Weston and his compeers had set the example of these ridicu- 
lous journeys ; and in connexion wath this affair a bicycling 
exhibition was opened, at which several of the most prominent 
makers exhibited their wares. Part of the programme was a 
competition before judges, who were empowered to hand medals 
according to merit to the various manufacturers ; and those who 
know the cycling trade can well imagine that, as only three 
prizes were allotted, the heart-burning was terrible. An indig- 
nation meeting was held, and the makers who had not received 
awards passed resolutions repudiating the contest and with- 



86 CYCLING. 

drawing their machines, a result which might have been ex- 
pected and which effectually stepped the offering of prizes for 
that sort of competition until 1885, when prizes were awarded 
at the Inventions Exhibition, any amount of annoyance being 
inevitably caused to the unplaced makers. The closing event 
of 1878 was the practical retirement from the Presidency of the 
Bicycle Union of Mr. G. F. Cobb, who had undoubtedly been 
the means of establishing that body upon a firm basis, and of 
arranging the conditions under which it has since become so 
marked a success. Fuller details will be found in the chapter 
on the National Cyclists Union. 

1879 was destined to see a still further spread in the popu- 
larity of the sport and the initiation of many new votaries into 
its mysteries. Early in the year the now celebrated Surbiton 
path, upon which the late ]\Ir. H. L. Cortis did several of his 
finest performances, was thrown open to the public and found 
much favour. Its fastest rival, the Cambridge track, was the 
scene of some further alterations of the record table, as on 
May 21 Mr. Fred T, East of the Surrey B.C. won the 
University Ten Miles Invitation Race in 30 mins. 45 sees., 
then a best on record, and on the same occasion by special 
permission a mixed contest between amateurs and professionals 
was held, the distance being two miles. The selected riders 
were John Keen and Fred Cooper for the professionals, and 
the Hon. Ion Keith-Falconer and Mr. H. L. Cortis for the 
amateurs ; the race was a very remarkable one. Cortis dashed 
off from the start at a rapid pace, closely followed by Keen, 
Keith-Falconer and Cooper in the order named, and these 
positions were maintained up to the three-quarter mile post ; 
Cooper, who was essentially a sprinter, waited until two 
hundred yards from the completion of the half distance, and 
then dashed away, leading the quartette by some yards at 
the mile, reached in 2 mins. 47f sees. ; best on record. 
Keith- Falconer dashed after Cooper with Keen on his hind 
wheel, and Cortis was left a yard or two in the rear. In this 
order they covered one and a half miles. Still keeping in 



HISTORICAL. 87 

front, Falconer stalled off a tremendous spurt on Keen's part 
and won by about three inches, in the marvellous time of 5 mins. 
362^ sees. The merit of this performance is best gauged 
by the fact that only a day or two before Cortis had been 
credited with the amateur mile record, he having covered that 
distance in 2 mins. 52^, sees, at the Surbiton track ; this shows 
what speed rates were at that time, and Keith-Falconer's 
performance as a natural consequence must have been marvel- 
lous ; very much on a par with a man doing two miles in about 
5 minutes in 1886. If any further evidence was wanted of the 
extraordinary nature of the feat, it is to be found in the length 
of time it stood in the record books, as it was not till the 
autumn of 1884, more than five years after it had been 
accomphshed, that the flying Tynesider, R. H. English of the 
North Shields Club, beat this record by covering two miles in 
the race for the Fifteen Miles Crystal Palace Challenge Cup 
in 5 mins. 335- sees., which was the first beating Falconer's 
record received, although Cortis had several times attempted 
to take it down, and had got very near it on more than one 
occasion ; Enghsh's record was in its turn defeated after but 
a short existence by M. "Webber, who on the Cambridge track, 
in the Two Miles Invitation Race, in which he defeated 
W. A. Illston, covered the distance in 5 mins. 30?- sees. 

With so satisfactory a commencement the season was bound 
to be successful, Mr. W. B. Tanner, of the West Kent B.C., 
initiated an agitation for a path in the south-east of London, and 
after a good deal of quiet work the representations of the com- 
mittee charged with the task were successful, and the Crystal 
Palace Company agreed to lay out a track in their grounds at 
Sydenham. This popular path is three and a half laps to the 
mile, dead level and singularly fast. Since its establishment 
a number of grand performances have been accomplished 
upon it by Cortis, English, and other well-known men. 

In the northern counties the sport w\as flourishing, and a 
Championship of Yorkshire having been instituted, it was won 
in this year by J. E. Tolson, a fearless rider on the most 



88 CYCLING. 

awkward of paths, but by no means speedy enough to cope with 
path-trained riders. 

On June 28, at a race meeting promoted by the Druids 
B. C, G. Lacy Hillier made his first appearance on a London 
cinder path (his delnit having been made on the gravel track 
at the Alexandra Palace). At Lillie Bridge, in the One Mile 
LLindicap, receiving 155 yards start from Cortis, after winning 
his heat he ran into the fence at the grand stand end of the 
track and fell. He was unplaced in the final. In the same 
month J. E. PuUin, a successful racing man, rode from. Eltham 
to Folkestone harbour, 61^ miles, in 4 hrs. 45 mins. without a 
dismount. The regretted death of the Prince hnperial in 
Zululand caused the West Kent B.C., of which he was an 
honorary member, to pass a vote of sincere sympathy wnth the 
bereaved Empress, which was duly and gracefully acknow- 
ledged by her in a letter to the hon. secretary of the club. 

In August, yet another record was established between 
London and John o' Groat's, H. Blackw^ll, junr., of the 
Canonbur}^ C. C. (then B. C.) having covered the distance in 
II days 4 hours, arriving at John o' Groat's house on Aug. 27. 
INIr. Black well w^as at this time an active tourist, and his ex- 
periences as one of the earUest long-distance riders would be 
very interesting. In September the Surrey B. C. offered for 
the first tim.e a fifty -guinea cup, to be won three times in all, 
for competition in their scratch race, distance ten miles, and 
H. L. Cortis placed his name upon it for the first time, 
accomplishing also a best on record for ten miles on grass, 
his time being 34 mins. 31-^- sees. ; Walter Popplewell the 
Ipsw^ich cyclist was second, and A. S. Brown third. The 
tricycle had now begun to make its way steadily in public 
opinion, and as a result a well-knowm agent at Kensington 
decided to promote a fifty miles road race, the course being 
from Kew^ Bridge to Blackwater and back. The winner 
turned up in A. E. Derkinderin, who covered the distance 
in 4 hrs 55 mins., on a machine constructed by IMessrs. Hill- 
man, Herbert & Cooper, and named by them, after the rider 



HISTORICAL. 89 

on this occasion, the Flying Dutchman. This race was carried 
on from year to year by a committee, until it was stopped by 
the police near Caterham Junction as a nuisance. The winners 
have been as follows : — 

1S79. A. E. Derkinderin, ist. S. Corbett, 2nd. 

1880. C. D. Vesey,^ ist ; G. L. Hillier, 2nd. 

1 88 1. G. Lacy Hillier, ist ; P. G. Hebblethwaite, 2nd. 

1882. M. J. Lowndes, ist ; T. R. Marriott, 2nd. 
1S83. T. R. Marriott, ist ; George Smith, 2nd. 

{Discontinued^ 

In October of this year the name of Frederick Wood, of 
Leicester, who has held the professional championship several 
times, appears in an amateur handicap in which the embryo 
champion is given the liberal start of 190 yds. In this month 
Cortis did the Alexandra Palace managers a good turn, as 
on the old path, which was by no means in good condition, 
the ' Long Wanderer,' as Cortis was called, made a three mile 
record, covering that distance in the final of the Three Mile 
Open Handicap in 8 mins. 55 1 sees. All who saw the race 
must remember how the white-vested athlete flew down and 
up the hill and dashed at top speed round the, then unbanked, 
lower corner, whilst the last lap was a magnificent effort, and 
the victor well deserved the cheers which welcomed his return 
to the dressing-room. 'Bobby' Woolnough (320 yards) was 
second, and A. S. Brown from the same mark third. 

The celebrated Over Turnpike case, in which the gate- 
keepers were fined for demanding an exorbitant toll, five 
shillings, from a bicyclist, upsetting him and detaining his 
lamp because he would not pay it, was decided about this 
time in favour of the rider, and the decision encouraged the 
cycling fraternity considerably. 

The Cortis-Keen matches, which created such a sensation 

' Vesey rode a machine called the ' Rara Avis ' — which was simply a bicycle 
with two hind wheels fitted to it. The Committee could not rule him out, but 
the trick was severely censured by the press and the public. 



90 CYCLIXG. 

at the time, were run off in 1879. Much discussion had taken 
place in cycling circles as to the relative merits of the ac- 
knowledged champions of professional and amateur cycling. 
Keen possessed fine speed, and his judgment was far more 
matured than that of Cortis, who the next year lost the mile 
championship through want of 'head.' The Union showed its 
real strength by granting a permit for a series of contests at 
one, five, and twenty miles, and as Keen's old friends in 
Wolverhampton of course wished to see him ride, the twenty 
mile race was run there. The idea that the amateur had a 
ghost of a chance with the professional was scouted by the 
habitues of the Molyneux Grounds. Messrs. M. D. Rucker 
and Jameson judged ; both men rode Eclipse bicycles made 
by John Keen. The professional adopted waiting tactics, and 
Cortis made all the running at a good pace. Three hundred 
yards from home Keen made a tremendous effort, but the 
amateur won handsomely by three yards. Times : five miles, 
16 mins. io4 sees. ; ten miles, 32 mins. iif sees. ; fifteen 
miles, 48 mins. 19 sees. ; twenty miles, 64 mins. 43^ sees. 
Keen rode a 56-incii and Cortis a 60-inch 'Keen's Eclipse' 
bicycle. 

The one and five mile races were run oft' at Stamford 
Bridge. Keen had been taking much care of himself after his 
Wolverhampton experiences, whilst Cortis had without doubt 
been made anxious by the over-sohcitous attentions of his 
friends, and he was conspicuously nervous on coming to the 
mark. Keen, inured by a larger experience, was by far the 
cooler of the two, and as usual was content to wait Cortis 
cut out the running in the mile at a fair pace, and no change 
occurred until rounding the corner into the straight for home, 
when Keen drew up and going wide spurted in marvellous 
form. Cortis, probably from over-anxiety, seemed to go to 
pieces, and though he struggled gamely was very erratic in his 
steering, and suffered defeat by a foot. Time, 2 mins. ^2\ sees. 
This result upset Cortis altogether, and in the five miles (in 
which his only chance lay in forcing the pace) he sat up to 



min. 


sec. 


2 


564 


6 


I4l 


9 


Hi 


12 


^71 


15 


3° 




39! 



HISTORICAL. 9T 

make Keen lead at i^ mile. Keen being forced in front 
only crawled round, and Cortis in disgust did what he should 
have done at first and spurted marvellously. When the bell 
rang Cortis went for the last lap, but Keen timing his effort 
to a nicety won by a yard, Cortis swerving all over the track 

at the finish. 

Time. 

One mile 

Two mile- ..... 

Three „ 

Four „ 

Five „ 

Last lap, 440 yards 

Cortis was dreadfully upset at his defeat, but it was, without 
doubt, a lucky thing for his cycling reputation that he was 
defeated, as had he proved victorious he would probably have 
finally retired from the path, and the grand performances 
which he subsequently accomplished would not have been 
placed upon record. The attendance at Stamford Bridge was 
perhaps the largest ever known, and this was, it is believed, 
the only occasion on which a declared professional athlete has 
raced upon the London A. C. path. The handicapping ques- 
tion was much discussed about this time, and the various racing 
men all agreed as to the necessity of appointing a trustworthy 
individual to the post, public opinion being very strongly in 
favour of ]\Ir. ]\L D. Rucker of the London B. C, who subse- 
quently accepted the onerous and unthankful task. 

It was about this time that a course of action regardinsf 
highway by-laws was adopted, and this has since been steadily 
followed out by the N.C.U., to the great advantage of the cycling 
public. A memorial, opposing certain by-laws, was presented 
to the justices of the county of Cambridge, signed by upwards 
of seventy persons, of whom sixty were fellows or late fellows 
of colleges, including inter alia four fellows of the Royal 
Society, three professors of the University, eight past or present 
proctors, six deans of colleges, and several holders of the 



92 CYCLING. 

highest legal honours, chancellor's medalHsts, Whewell scholars, 
&c. &c. 

The Otto bicycle first made its appearance about this time, 
and its singular appearance and apparently impossible action 
were described by Mr. H. H. Grififin at some length in the 
' Bicycling News.' At the close of the year Mr. H. Etherington 
took a team of cyclists to the United States, but the sport had 
not progressed very far in that country at that time, and no 
tracks or opponents of merit were found for the party. The 
Danger Boards were first suggested at the end of 1874, and 
the proposition was widely discussed and eventually carried 
out. In the course of an article on cycling Mr. Charles Spencer, 
at whose gymnasium Mr. Turner of Paris first rode the bicjxle 
in England, claimed to have taught the late Charles Dickens 
to ride a bicycle. 

In February, 1880, the season was duly opened according 
to precedent by the holding of the Stanley Show at the Holborn 
Town Hall ; this locale replaced the Foresters' Hall by reason 
of its greater accommodation — soon however to be found in its 
turn too small. The show was an immense success, though 
the machines then exhibited would now be considered sadly 
heavy and old-fashioned. In February was held the famous 
' London Meeting ' of the C. T. C. from which arose much trouble 
and discord, but as all that has been lived down no longer 
reference to the subject is necessary. The ingenious Mr. T. 
Sparrow, who has had a long and varied experience of cycling, 
brought out his ladies' bicycle — a machine which resembles 
the American Star in its general lines. The ladies' bicycle 
had a large lever-driven rear wheel and a small front steering 
wheel, controlled by handles hinged below the saddle. Mount- 
ing seemed to be the crux^ but when this was accomplished 
the rider progressed with ease and dismounted with safety. In 
IMarch the Union finally decided to appoint an official handi- 
capper, and the choice fell upon Mr. M. D. Rucker, who was 
admittedly the best man for the place then before the public. 
At the end of the month the Surrey B. C. by resolution decided 



HISTORICAL. 93 

to accept no protest against any rider who had not broken the 
rules of the Union. This action was taken in consequence of 
a threat on the part of some of the Anti-Union party to protest 
against Cortis because he had competed with Keen under 
Union sanction. 

On April 24, a most important athletic gathering was held at 
Oxford, whereat the Amateur Athletic Association was formed. 
The cyclists of the two Universities desired to be represented at 
this meeting, but the athletes decided not to admit them, having 
in view the fact that the cyclists already possessed a ruling body, 
and it was pretty generally understood amongst wheelmen at 
that time that cychng was to be left alone. Yet the only sport 
specifically mentioned in the first small leaflet circulated, con- 
taining a report of the proceedings, was cycling, a fact which 
raised a vast amount of feehng which was only subdued when 
the Treaty of Fleet Street, as the arrangement now well known 
among cyclists was called, put things on a clear and indisput- 
able footing between the N. C. U. and the A. A. A. 

Coventry at this time mounted its police ofificers upon the 
Silent Steed, and the fact was duly commented upon at some 
length in the ' Daily News,' the author facetiously suggesting 
that ' a defaulting debtor pursued by a constable mounted on a 
tricycle, and armed with a summons, sounds more like a horrible 
dream than a probable reality,' and quoted the Laureate's 

New men who, in the flying of a wheel, 
Cry down the past, 

as appropriate to the occasion. 

The London B. C.'s annual Bath to London race was a 
failure, owing to a heavy adverse gale, through which A. D. 
Butler alone forced his way to the goal. On May 14, Arthur 
Gilliatt, of the Wharfdale B. C, rode from Leeds to London, 
a distance of 192 miles, for the most part over very bad 
roads, in 22 hrs. 25 mins., an excellent performance which 
attracted a good deal of attention at the time. 

The Hampton Court Meet was a great success, a large 



94 CYCLING. 

number being present, and distant towns — Tynemouth, Hull, 
Portsmouth and others — were represented by a contingent 
of riders. Over 2,000 cyclists took part in the parade. In 
June ^Ir. Frank W. Weston, an Englishman domiciled in the 
United States, and the pioneer of American cycling, brought 
over a party of four Americans, the most prominent amongst 
them being Mr. J. S. Dean of Boston. The visitors made a 
somewhat lengthy tour through the Midland and Southern 
districts, and were entertained at dinner in Coventry and 
London. 

An organisation, having the high sounding title of the 
* Royal Bicycling Association,' was formed about this time, to 
promote exhibitions and to run amateur and professional races. 
It was intended to follow the Royal Agricultural Show in its 
yearly peregrinations from place to place. The first gathering 
was held in July at Carlisle, but resulted in complete and 
utter failure, and the Royal Bicycling Association disappeared. 

On June 24, C. E.. Liles won the Mile Championship, with 
S. Kemp second and H. L. Cortis third, this being one of 
the few defeats the 'Long Wanderer ' suffered after attaining, 
championship honours. H. L. Cortis won the Five Miles 
Championship on the same afternoon. 

On July I, H. L. Cortis won the Twenty-five Miles Cham- 
pionship, with W. T. Thorn second, and J. F. Griffith third. 
And on the 8th he also won the Fifty Miles, H. Osborn 
second, and J. F. Griffith third. 

A mysterious association, known to fame as the Connaught 
Rangers B. C, which appeared to consist of but one meuiber, 
who subsequently pleaded infancy when called upon to pay 
for the prizes, held a race meeting late in August on the Surbiton 
track, and in the Ten Miles Scratch Race, H. L. Cortis rode in 
magnificent form, establishing a record for ten miles inside 
30 mins.j for the first time in cycling history, his time being 
29 mins. 54} sees. 

In the summer of this year Messrs. H. Blackwell, junr., and 
C. A. Harman, of the Canonbury C. C, rode from Land's End 



HISTORICAL. 95 

to John o' Groat's, nearly 900 miles, in 13 days, establishing in 
an easy-going manner a record which has since been beaten, 
but which is still a record, inasmuch as the riders were not at- 
tempting to make an uncomfortable labour of their holiday trip. 
In August the North of England meet was held under the 
auspices of the Bradford B. C. at Harrogate, in Yorkshire, and 
led to the establishment of the Harrogate Camp, which under 
the energetic management of the same club has each year 
been a great success, a large number of wheelmen from all 
parts of the United Kingdom mustering under canvas for 
four days, at the beginning of August. In connexion with 
this notable meet, a general meeting of the then Bicycle Tour- 
ing Club took place in the concert -room of the Spa Grounds, 
Low Harrogate, at which an agenda of considerable length 
was submitted to the assembled members, some of whom 
had come long distances for the purpose of taking part in 
the deliberations. After a comparatively short session, it was 
suddenly announced that the room must be vacated for the 
evening concert, and the meeting v>'as asked to adopt the rules 
submitted without consideration. " A very heated discussion 
ensued, and was continued in a smaller room to which the 
meeting adjourned ; a party dabbed the 'Malcontents' was 
formed, and they eventually brought about the very necessary 
reforms in the organisation of the great athletic club which 
without doubt have led up to its present success. 

In riding southward from this meet, Mr. Henry Sturmey, of 
'The Cyclist,' took particular note of the 26-inch handle-bars 
which Mr. Hillier had had fitted to his bicycle, and on August 
10 his journal contained an able leader on the value of long 
handle-bars. The fashion thus set withstood the test of time 
and experience, and has proved of value to young riders, a long 
handle-bar, as will be seen in the following chapters of this 
work, being particularly serviceable in assisting the novice to 
acquire a good style. 

On September 2 Cortis made his first attempt to cover 20 
miles in the hour, encouraged by his success at 10 miles above 



96 CYCLING. 

recorded. The Surbiton path was chosen for the attempt, and 
every effort was made to get it into good condition. This 
track was — in common with most London paths — then ridden 
with the right hand inside. A number of well-known cyclists 
were asked to assist as pace-makers. At 6.10 p.m., when the 
start took place, a very slight breeze was blowing which went 
down with the sun. The weather was warm, and singularly 
suitable to the occasion. C. E. Liles started with Cortis and 
covered two miles in 6 mins. 5|- sees., when the record-breaker 
not being satisfied with the rate of progression went in front and 
covered the third miile in 2 mins. 59 1 sees. Liles made a dash 
at the end of four miles^ when he gave way to J. F. Griffith, who 
with a flying start rode the next four miles in 1 1 mins. 54I- sees., 
and thus knocked off the odd seconds for Cortis, whose time for 
eight miles was 24 mins. of sec. Sidney Kemp then came on, 
but he, like Liles, could not make pace, and at twelve miles 
Cortis was 143- sees, outside even time. G. Lacy Hillier took 
up the running, and forcing the pace for two miles he assisted 
the record-breaker to knock two seconds off his loss. Hillier 
then gave w^ay to Griffith, who took Cortis along in excellent 
style, so that at sixteen miles he was but eight seconds outside. 
Liles joining in, he and Griffith raced hard against one another, 
and the seventeenth mile was a very good one, being covered 
in 2 mins. 52 f sees., Cortis being only \ second outside even 
time ; Kemp joined the trio, and the eighteenth mile was com- 
pleted in 53 mins. 563 sees., or 3f sees. i?iside evens. In the 
third lap of the nineteenth mile, Liles on the inside swerved 
from exhaustion and came into collision with Griffith, the pair 
falling heavily right in front of Cortis, who came down on them, 
Kemp escaping in the most marvellous manner, just getting 
clear of Cortis' machine as it fell down. Cortis was not very 
much hurt beyond flesh wounds, but J. F. Griffith broke his 
ankle, and the shock of the fall severely injured his heart ; al- 
though this was not discovered till much later. The mile times 
from eleven to eighteen were then best on record. The ' Daily 
Telegraph ' based a lengthy and amusing article upon Cortis' 



HISTORICAL, 97 

feat, in which, amongst other remarks emphasising the value of 
the new sport, the writer said, * Not the w^orst thing that they 
have done, these knights of the road, has been to rehabilitate 
and set on their legs again many of our old posting-houses and 
decayed hostelries all over the country. Bicycles have to a 
certain extent taken the place of coaches ; they frequent all our 
great main roads, and gladden the hearts of innkeepers, who 
look out for the tinkUng bells which herald the advent of a 
"club" of wandering velocipedists, just as they anticipated of 
yore the gladsome toothng of the horn that bespoke the ap- 
proach of the Enterprize, the Highflyer, or some other well- 
known conveyance of the old coaching days.' A fortnight later 
Cortis made another attempt to ride twenty miles in the hour, 
but he had in the interval had another fall whilst racing at 
Lincoln, and was decidedly unfit ; under these circumstances 
he failed to approach his former times, falling very weak in the 
fourteenth mile, and being 38f sees, outside the hour when 
twenty miles had been covered. The rider was awfully dis- 
gusted when Coleman told him that he was outside the limit, 
but doubling testily to his work he dashed on for five miles 
more, covering twenty-five miles in i hour i6 mins. 41 f sees., 
which stood as a best on record until 1886, when the time was 
beaten in the presence of a few spectators on a modern path, 
by J. E. Fenlon. Cortis w^on the Surrey Cup for the third time 
at the autumn meeting, and thus became its absolute possessor. 
On October 9 the now celebrated Crystal Palace track was 
opened by a grand race meeting, the programme including a 
club challenge cup for a team race, an idea which has since 
been dropped, and a one mile handicap. The day was a 
dreadful one, and the new track very heavy in consequence. 
G. Lacy Hillier won both events from scratch in very slow time. 
On November 6 the second Fifty Miles Road Tricycle Cham- 
pionship was promoted by the Finchley and London T. C.'s 
jointly, the course being from Tally Ho Corner, Finchley, N., 
to a point just this side of Hitchin and back. Fifteen men in 
all started. The morning was very fogg}', and consequently the 

H 



98 CYCLING. 

trains were late. Hillier, who had been training for the event, 
and who practically introduced the double-steering Humber 
tricycle to London riders in this contest, arrived late, and J, R. 
Hamilton had actually started upon Hillier's machine when the 
latter rushed up in hot haste from the station. A change of 
pedals was an absolute necessity, whilst Hillier did not find out 
until he had started that the saddle had been moved forward, 
with the result that he struck his shins continually against the 
axle. He eventually started thirteen minutes late, but at twelve 
miles fiom the start he had passed every one except Vesey, 
who was only one minute in front of him at this point. Vesey 
was riding a ' bicycle ' fitted with two small hind wheels, which 
public opinion universally decided was an unfair machine, and 
eventually won somewhat easily, Hillier finishing second, C. 
Crute third, R. C. Baker fourth, G. D. Godbolt fifth, and H. L. 
Cortis sixth. The Tricycle Association, then recently formed,- 
established a remarkable and utterly impracticable 'amateur 
definition' providing for a neuter class of riders neither amateur 
nor professional, and generally complicating matters by attempt- 
ing to decide 'what is a tricycle.' The result of the attempt 
to cobble the amateur law was the eventual absorption of the 
Tricycle Association into the Bicycle, or as it is now termed 
the National Cyclists Union, as the only way out of the diffi- 
culty in which one of its members had placed it. A project for 
the establishment of a Central Clubhouse for cyclists in London 
was warmly supported by a few men ; but the matter after 
languishing for a considerable time fell through, as it was very 
evident that cyclists were not likely to give such an institution 
the necessary amount of support and encouragement. 

Yet another great advance is that recorded in 1880. The 
Union began the publication of the executive reports, a course 
which brought it considerable advantage, whilst the energy and 
enthusiasm of the votaries of cycling were controlled and con- 
centrated so as to produce the best results. 'The Cyclist,' 
started in the last month of 1879, came very strongly to the 
front, and supporting the governing body of cycling in contra- 



HISTORICAL. 99 

distinction to the attitude assumed by some of the other 
journals, secured a world-wide circulation, and took a leading 
place in that section of journalism. 

In February 1881, the season was opened in the orthodox 
manner by the holding of the fifth Stanley Show — for the 
second time at the Holborn Town Hall. A very excellent show 
was arranged, and a large number of persons visited it during 
its continuance. A steam tricycle, the invention of Sir Thomas 
Parky ns, was shown on this occasion, the arrangements being 
very ingenious. A small engine was driven by ' liquid fuel,' i.e- 
oil, and the escaping steam was condensed and repumped into 
the boiler. The inventor had driven the machine on the road 
at a good pace, but the requirements of the law as regards 
steam-driven vehicles put a complete check upon the develop- 
pient of the invention, of which nothing has since been heard. 

News from Cairo about this time recorded the fact that a 
Mr. E. F. Rogers had ridden from that city to the pyramid of 
Cheops, thus bringing two vastly distant cycles into close ap- 
proximation, whilst within a week or two it was announced 
that Prince Yeo, son of the King of Siam, Lord of the Thousand 
White Elephants, &c., had purchased a bicycle for his own 
use. Mr. T. H. S. Walker of Berlin was engaged in bringing 
the cycle to the fore in Germany, and the Berlin B. C. was duly 
established in March 1881. 

The Union accepted the principle of moveable champion- 
ships for the first time, and ran two of its four contests in the 
Midlands. The principle then adopted has proved of inestim- 
able value to the ruling body of cycling, as it has brought the 
leadinsj men of the various sections and districts into actual 
contact, and extended and developed in a most valuable 
manner the resources of the Union. Much of the accord 
which now exists between the various local centres and the 
Central Executive is due entirely to the meetings and inter- 
course of the men in the promotion of the championship 
contests. At Easter some open tricycle races were run at the 
Belgrave Road Grounds, Leicester, one of them nominally for 



100 CYCLING. 

the Ten Miles Amateur Championship, which was won by S 
Corbett of Coventry on a rear-steering single-driving Excelsior, 
G. L. Hillier on a Humber being second. Corbett's machine 
was geared up to about 57 inches, whilst Hillier's was geared 
to about 50 inches. This was one of the earliest cases of 
gearing up being practically tested on the path ; the race was 
regarded as a certainty for Hillier. On April 30 the racing 
season in London was fairly opened by the holding of the 
Surrey Spring Meeting, Hillier winning the cup by three- 
quarters of a lap from J. F. Griffith, J. R. Hamilton third; 
time, 35 mins. 53^ sees. 

On ]\Iay 21, 2,050 riders attended the Hampton Court 
meet, and the weather being fine the sight was an exceedingly 
picturesque one, whilst later on 136 tricyclists met on Eahng 
Common and paraded vath great effect, the tricycle lending 
itself much more easily to that sort of work than the unstable 
bicycle. 

On June 25 the third Fifty Miles Road Race for the tri- 
cycle championship was run under singularly unpleasant con- 
ditions, and over muddy and stony roads from Hounslow via 
Maidenhead and Cookham to a point twenty-five miles out 
and back. The race fell to G. Lacy Hillier in 4 hrs. 53 mins., 
33 minutes in front of R G. Hebblethwaite second, H. A. 
Venables third, W. B. Parker fourth. 

On July 6, the N. C. U. held at Surbiton its first champion- 
ship for i88t, which fell to G. Lacy Hillier by eighty yards, 
after a good race with Liles, Palmer, and Milner, this being the 
first occasion on which a really representative Midlander had 
visited London to compete for championship honours. C. A. 
Palmer, waited on by Liles, stuck closely to Hillier's hind 
wheel during the first four miles, Milner making all the run- 
ning. 2-J laps from home, Hillier dashed to the front and sus- 
taining his spurt. Palmer cracked three-quarters of a lap from 
home, and Hillier drew away and won easily in 15 mins. 39^ sees. 

On the 1 6th, Hillier won the One and Twenty-five Miles 
Championships at Belgrave Road Grounds, Leicester, the final 



HISTORICAL. lot 

of the Mile being a match between Hillier and Liles. A very 
slow pace was set by the former till the bell rang, when he 
sprang off at top speed and won by six yards, making a best on 
record for a flying \ mile, viz. 36* sees. In the Twenty-five 
Miles he also won easily by forty yards. ; C. Crute second, 
C. E. Liles third. On July 21, Hillier established a mile grass 
record, covering that distance at Priory Park, Chichester, in 
2 mins. 51 sees. On July 27, Hillier won the last championship 
of the year, the 50 miles, by 30 yds. from C. Crute, J. F. Griffith 
third ; time, 2 hrs. 50 mins. 50I sees., best on record by nearly 
4 minutes. He thus won the five open championships of 1881. 

The first Harrogate Camp was held in August. Although 
rain fell heavily most of the time, the campers so far managed 
to enjoy themselves that the camp has become one of the best 
and most enjoyable holidays a cyclist has to look forward to. 
On Augu.^t II, the Tricycle Association decided that an amal- 
gamation between the B. U. and the T. A. was advisable, and 
appointed a sub-committee to meet delegates from the Union 
in the matter. This in due course led to the absorption of the 
T. A into the present N. C U. In September the Surrey B. C. 
Meeting closed the season, the cup falling to J. F. Griffith with 
C. E. Liles second, and E. S. Hassell third ; time 37 mins. 
55 sees. The Fifty Miles Tricycle Championship of Scotland 
was competed for in October, and fell to Laing in 5 hrs. 
14 mins., Kirk second, and Hay third. 

The year closed quietly, a very lengthy discussion on the 
question of the gearing of tricycles foreshadowing the great 
popularity which the three-wheeler was to attain during the 
following riding season. The B. U. and the B. T. C. were both 
progressing steadily, and the sport showed a decided advance 
in popularity all along the line. 

One of the earliest incidents of 1S82 was the purchase by 
H.R.H. the Princess of Wales of a Challenge tricycle from 
Messrs Singer & Co. for the use of one of H.R.H.'s daughters. 
The incident was recorded as a pleasant augury for the season 
then opening. 



102 CYCLING. 

In February the Tricycle Association was finally merged in 
the (then) Bicycle Union under a somewhat complicated title, 
since discarded in favour of its present name, whilst later on in 
the month the Stanley Show was held in connexion with the 
Sportsman's Exhibition, in the galleries of the Agricultural 
Hall, a grand exhibition of machines being staged. 

The racing season opened with the Surrey Meeting, C. A. 
Palmer and J. F. Griffith running a dead heat for first place, 
the only time on record ; the dead heat was ridden off later 
on at the Crystal Palace, when Palmer won easily. Nearly 350 
tricyclists attended the spring meet on Barnes Common, an 
ample evidence of the growth of this branch of the sport, whilst 
2,177 wheelmen in all took part in the Hampton Court meet, 
only just about the same number as were present the previous 
year, public interest declining in this unwieldy show. 

On June 3, H. L. Cortis, who had been doing a good deal 
of riding, competed at the Cr3'stal Palace in the West Kent 
B. C.'s Open Mile Handicap, of course from scratch, and in 
the sixth heat beat the mile record, covering that distance in 
2 mins. 43-i- sees., the last lap being a marvellous one. The 
previous records were : amateur, Keith-Falconer's, 2 mins. 46-J 
sees. ; professional, Fred Cooper's, 2 mins. 46 sees. ; whilst on 
the 7 th Cortis again reduced the time on the Surbiton path in 
the One Mile Invitation Handicap of the Wanderers B. C, 
covering the mile in 2 mins. 4if sees. On the same evening 
Cortis had a try at Keith- Falconer's two-mile time, but failed to 
beat it by 24 sees. The Fifty Miles Tricycle Championship 
of Scotland fell to T. Lamb, M. Sinclair being second ; time, 
4 hrs. 20 mins. The Scottish meet at Edinburgh attracted nearly 
400 wheelmen, and was a pronounced success. The Hon. Ion 
Keith- Falconer, who is practically the father of Land's End 
to John o' Groat's rides, went over the celebrated route in 
12 days 23 hours 15 mins., a very grand performance at the 
time, though it looks very small alongside i886's developments. 
About this time an Oxford man, H- R. Reynolds, went over 
the 'Turpin route,' from London to York, a distance of 196I 



HISTORICAL. 103 

miles, in 21 liours 43 niins. His i)rcdecessor was W. T. Thorn 
of the L. B. C, wliose machine broke down some few miles 
out of York as previously related. 

The first Union championships ever held in Birmingham 
came off on July 8, when Frank Moore won both the One Mile 
and the Twenty-five Miles, being followed home in the short 
distance race by M. Whish and M. J. Lowndes, and in the 
longer contest by F. R. Fry and C. Crute. On the 9th W. F. 
Sutton, of the London Scottish, on an ordinary bicycle covered 
222 miles on the Great North Road in 23 hrs. 55 mins., riding 
time 2\\ hours, which it is needless to say was the best on 
record. On July 22, J. S. Whatton, the flying Cantab, of whose 
strange bicycle some account will be found in a subsequent 
chapter, won the Five Miles Amateur Championship on the 
Crystal Palace track in 15 mins. i2|- sees., Keith-Falconer 
being second, and C. Crute third ; w^hilst on the 29th Keith- 
Falconer handsomely won the Fifty Miles Amateur Champion- 
ship from C. D. Vesey and W. K. Adams in 2 hrs. 43 mins. 
58I sees., a best on record by nearly seven minutes. Vesey 
broke a spoke two miles from the finish. This was indeed a 
busy w^eek at the Crystal Palace track, as W. K. Adams covered 
3 miles in 8 mins. 41^ sees., a best on record ; and H. L. Cortis 
at last accomplished the feat he had so often attempted, and 
covered twenty miles in the hour. It was a model evening, 
with not a breath of wind. The flags hung motionless against 
the posts. Cortis was assisted by Woolnough, Hunter, Vesey, 
Tacagni, Adams, and last but by no means least Alfred 
Thompson. Well coached, led, and clocked, Cortis covered 
the 20 miles in 59 mins. 3 if sees., and 20 miles 300 yards in the 
hour. He rode a 60-inch Invincible. Not satisfied with this 
grand performance, Cortis desired to make yet another attempt, 
and at last, to the delight of all sportsmen, it was announced 
that Cortis and Keith-Falconer would ride twenty miles together. 
There had long been a desire to see these two great riders 
meet, and a crowd visited Surbiton on August 2. Pace-makers, 
including Messrs. Adams, Woolnough, Tacagni, IMcKinlay and 



roa 



CYCLING. 




others, assisted. Up to six 
miles Falconer retained the 
post he had taken up, dead 
on Cortis' hind wheel. But 
he was palpably labouring, 
though the fact was not within 
Cortis' ken. Peter IMcKinlay 
taking the post of pace-maker 
at this juncture, set a hot pace, 
and in the second lap, along 
the top of the ground, Falconer 
was beaten ; Cortis looking 
under his arm, took in the 
situation at a glance, and 
shouting excitedly 'Go on, 
Peter,' he doubled to his work 
in a moment, and left the 
Cantab, who shortly afterwards 
gave up. From 7 miles every 
record was beaten up to 20 
miles in 59 mins. 2o\ sees., 
and 20 miles 325 yds. were 
covered in an hour. 

This year Harrogate Camp 
was favoured with fine weather 
and was a pronounced success 
in every way. In the latter part 
of the month the Wanderers 
gave a farewell dinner to H. L. 
Cortis, who shortly afterwards 
departed with his newly married 
wife to Australia. It was with 
the deepest regret that the 
wheel world heard of his early 
death at Carcoar, New South 
Wales, on the 28th December^ 



HISTORICAL. 105 

1885, of a compHcation resulting from low fever caused by the 
climate. After his arrival in the colonies Cortis did little or 
no cycling, but rode several horses in steeplechases, in the 
course of which the ex-champion broke his arm, though he 
had never broken a bone from his bicycle. He named one of 
his steeplechasers 'Lacy Hillier' because it could stay, in 
kindly remembrance of an old friend. The private and per- 
sonal friends of Cortis have erected in the church of Ripley, 
in Surrey — a spot much frequented by cyclists— a window and 
brass to his memory, which will long be honoured wherever 
cyclists most do congregate. 

M. J. Lowndes won the Fifty Miles Road Race in the 
splendid time of 3 hours 47 mins. 40 sees., T. R. Marriott 
being second, and W. B. Parker third. 

Messrs. Ellis & Co., agents for the sale of the Facile bi 
cycle, promoted in the autumn of this year a 24 hours ride 
on Facile bicycles, with the result that W. Snook covered 2\^\ 
miles, W. F. Sutton 198 miles, and C. H. Cole 189 miles in the 
allotted time, much of course to the benefit and credit of the 
very serviceable little Safety. 

On October 14 the Union promoted its first Tricycle 
championship, distance five miles. There was an excellent 
entry, and after a fine struggle the race fell to C. E. Liles, 
H. W. Gaskell second ; the much fancied Midlander, M. J. 
Lowndes, was disposed of by the winner in the second round. 

In November the members of the Tricyclist Conference 
met at supper to signalise the success of the road race they had 
promoted, and the establishment of a ' new T. A. ' was first 
mooted. This was soon attempted, but a majority of practical 
tricyclists were opposed to the movement, and ' The Tricycle 
Union' at last ceased to exist shortly after an unsuccessful 
attempt to promote an 'Amateur Championship.' On the day 
fixed no one put in an appearance at the Crystal Palace track, 
either as official or competitor, and the T. U. eventually meta- 
morphosed itself into 'The Society of Cyclists,' who proclaim 
themselves followers of what they call the 'higher aims' of 



io6 CYCLING. 

cycling, read papers on botany and geology at their meetings, 
and are the objects of much good-humoured chaff on the part 
of cyclists, who do not take the ' cycling ' part of the Society's 
title very much an serieux, and are inclined to resent the ridi- 
culous light in which the so-called Society of Cyclists occasion- 
ally present to the public the sport to which they are attached. 

On December 14, at a council meeting of the Union, certain 
suspended riders appealed to the council for reinstatement. 
Mr. W. B. Tanner took the lead on behalf of the executive, Mr. 
T. E. Scrutton occupying the chair. The appellants requiring 
some assistance, the chairman asked if any gentleman — prefer- 
ably a legal man — amongst the delegates present would under- 
take to assist them. Then, in the words of an amusing skit 
written at the time, ' Someone with legal bent, deep voice, and 
twinkhng eyes, rises to the occasion.' This was Mr. Robert 
Todd, of the Stanley B. C, a newly elected councillor, who 
soon after became honorary secretary to the Union, to its im- 
mense advantage ; and so this year closed with much promise 
for the future. 

The Stanley Show, held at the Albert Hall in January, was 
the first notable event of 1883 ; but the big rambling building 
with its many square yards of unavailable space, its tortuous 
passages and poor light, was by no means suitable for the pur- 
poses of the show, which nevertheless attracted a numerous 
crowd of visitors, including a strong contingent of West End 
people, whom the associations of the hall, and curiosity, brought 
to view the exhibits. 

In Birmingham the Speedwell B. C. held an exhibition in 
Bingley Hall on the same lines, which proved a marked success, 
and was continued for a year or two, until at last discontinued. 

It is recorded that a cyclist in the spring of this year rode 
his bicycle for half an hour on the Goodwin Sands. Why he 
went there is a mystery, but the fact remains, a bicycle has been 
ridden on the Goodwins. 

H. W. Gaskell won the Surrey Cup, with Prentice second, 
and F. Moore third. Time, 42 mins. -9I- sees. 



HISTORICAL. 107 

The Hampton Court meet was duly held, though scarcely 
so well supported as before, an increasing number of leading 
clubs standing out. Eastern and Western civilisation was 
brought into pretty close contact, as a Japanese ^ jinricksha^ 
was taken alongside the procession for some distance by two 
well-built Japs. 

Early in this year, the Bicycle Touring Club after lengthy 
consideration changed its name to that under which it now 
exists, viz. the Cyclists' Touring Club, or C. T. C, these letters 
replacing the then more favoured formula ' B. T. C 

Nearly 800 cyclists took part in a meet at Sefton Park, 
Liverpool, and paraded before the mayor, an evidence, if one 
was needed, of the wonderful spread of the sport in the district ; 
whilst a few weeks later 500 wheelmen and women mustered 
at the Scottish meet in Edinburgh. 

On June 22 the Facile people promoted another twenty- 
four hours race on the road, which, contrary to the usual rule, 
proved vastly interesting, inasmuch as within thirty minutes of 
the expiration of the twenty-four hours J. H. Adams overhauled 
and passed J. W. M. Brown and eventually won, covering 
220 miles 7 furlongs in the day — a grand performance. Mr. 
Adams subsequently developed into a very successful path 
rider. 

About this time C. H. R. Gosset covered just over 200 
miles in the twenty-four hours on a tricycle, the first time this 
feat was accomplished on the road, whilst a match at 100 miles 
between Alfred Nixon and M. J. Low^ndes resulted in a victory 
for Nixon, though on public form it was all Lombard Street to 
a China orange on the Midlander, who led at one time by over 
eight minutes, but he gave up at 62 miles quite exhausted. 
Nixon's time for 100 miles was 7 hrs. 23 mins. 5o|- sees. 

Early in July Alfred Thompson of the Sutton B.C. cut two 
of Cortis' records at the Brixton Ramblers' meeting at the Crystal 
Palace, covering the starting quarter in 40?- sees, and the half 
mile in i min. 19! sees. The Hon. Ion Keith-Falconer's Land's 
End to John o' Groat's record was beaten by James Lennox ot 



io8 , CYCLING, 

Dumfries, who rode the distance in 9 days 4 hrs. 40 mins., thus 
beating the previous record by nearly four days. 

On July 7 two of the Union Championships were held at 
Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham. The Five Miles Bicycle 
Championship fell to F. Sutton, A. C. Auster second, and 
G. H. Illston third in slow time. C. E. Liles easily secured 
the One Mile Tricycle Championship from M. J. Lowndes in 
3 mins. i8i sees. 

In July the London T.C. organised a great twenty-four hours 
race on tricycles, the course being from Caterham Junction 
near Croydon to Brighton, thence along the coast to Fareham, 
thence via Romsey and Salisbury and on through Stockbridge 
and Alton, as far as the riders could go in the twenty-four 
hours ; no less than 74 entries were obtained, of whom 67 
started at midnight on Frida}^, July 6, and it was truly a mar- 
vellous sight that met the eye, as 67 tricycles bearing one or 
more lamps, together with a great crowd of cyclists who were 
present as spectators, moved off at the word ' Go ' along the 
dark glade of Smitham's Bottom. Ripley, distant some 202 
miles from the start, was regarded as likely to prove the desti- 
nation, especially when the breeze freshened as the day broke, 
and several men arranged to ride down on Saturday to see the 
finish. Those who went down early, however, were startled 
about a quarter to nine in the evening by the receipt of a wire 
from Mr. T. Griffith, who was checking at Alton, announcing 
that Marriott had passed there at 7.1 p.m. At 9.30 John Keen 
on a bicycle dashed into Ripley and ordered tea, and at 9.39 
T. R. Marriott, the first man, rode up, going strongly and well. 
After a mouthful of tea, he pushed on, and riding out the time, 
reached Merton, 2 18 J miles, at 11.50 p.m. Nixon was the 
second man to reach Ripley, which he did at 10.23, and having 
no friend to keep him going, he went to bed, and whilst he 
slept Vesey, who arrived at 10.29, pushed painfully on toWisley 
Common and back, and took second place with a score of 
205^ miles, the last 5^- miles taking him i hr. 15 min. to cover. 
Cosset, arriving at 11. 41, rode a quarter of a mile further up 



HISTORICAL. 109 

the road and back, and thus took third place, the score at the 
expiration of the twenty-four hours being : 











hrs. 


min. 


I. 


T. R. Marriott . 




2i8f miles 


23 


50 


2. 


C. D. Vesey . 


. 


205 i „ 


23 


33 


3- 


C. H. R. Gossel 


, 


20U „ 


23 


42 


4. 


Alfred Nixon , 


. 


20l\ „ 


22 


23 



As ^YiIl be seen, Nixon's was without doubt the second best 
performance, and had he had an energetic friend to have kept 
him going, he would have easily taken second honours. Thus 
ended the great road ride which did a great deal for the 
sport in one way, whilst setting a very bad example in another. 
It is needless to add that Marriott's time was a best on record, 
whilst all the four men beat Gosset's record of 200J miles in 
twenty-four hours. 

In July, Lord Bury, whose efforts to bring about an amicable 
arrangement between the B. U. and the T. U. had been frus- 
trated by the executive of the latter body, who repudiated the 
arrangement they had empowered him to propose, resigned 
the Presidency of the Tricycle Union, and was subsequently 
unanimously elected President of the B.U. (now N. C. U.), 
his acceptance of office marking a new era of increased pro- 
sperity and success for the Jockey Club of the sport. 

On the 14th, the One Mile Bicycle and Ten Miles Tricycle 
Championships were competed for on the Crystal Palace track, 
the mile falling to H. W. Gaskell, who was followed home by 
Alfred Thompson — F. Sutton, who was much fancied, falling in 
the second lap ; time, 2 mins. 55! sees. The Tricycle Cham- 
pionship fell to C. E. Liles in 33 mins. 45 sees., I\I. J. Lowndes 
being second. 

The Crichton B. C.'s evening meeting on the following 
Thursday was notable for the fact that the four miles record was 
twice beaten. H. F. Wilson covered the distance in the fifch 
heat in II mins. 37-?- sees., whilst in the final H. W. Gaskell 
won in II mins. 34I- sees., Wilson declining to start. Wilson 



no CYCLING. 

won the Fifty Miles Championship on the 21st in 2.hrs. 46 mins. 
26J sees, from P\ R. Fry of Chfton. 

M. Sinclair won the Fifty Miles Tricycle Championship of 
Scotland on the 25th in 4 hrs. 45 mins. 35 sees., Laing being 
second and D. H. Huie third ; whilst on the 27th F. R. Fry of 
Clifton beat all bicycle records from 51 miles to 100 on the 
Crystal Palace track, covering the full distance in 5 hrs. 50 mins. 
5f sees., which still remains at time of writing ^ a best on 
record. On July 21 another Birmingham cyclist, Mr. Alfred 
Bird, beat the 24 hours tricycle record (Marriott's 2i8| miles), 
covering 22 1| miles in all. 

The Twenty-five Miles Bicycle Championship fell to C. E. 
Liles in i hr. 22 mins. 42^ sees., the race being run at Taunton 
on August 2. On the same day James Lennox beat the existing 
24 hours bicycle road record by covering 229 miles in the 
specified time. 

The Harrogate meet was once more a pronounced success, 
being favoured with excellent weather, and everything passing 
off in the most satisfactory style. Lennox's record was not 
long permitted to stand, as Mr. J. W. M. Brown on August 
16 covered 255^ miles on the road in 24 hours, a grand per- 
formance. 

On September 8, the Tricycle Conference promoted what 
proved to be the last Fifty Miles Road Championship Race. 
For some considerable time the more far-seeing members of the 
cycling body had recognised the fact that the practice of hold- 
ing open races on the road was illegal and likely to prove detri- 
mental to the credit and interests of the cycling sport, and as 
a consequence much opposition was manifested. The Tricycle 
Conference, however, rather braved the matter out, inserting 
advertisements, not only in the cycling, but in the sporting press. 
A few hours before the race the managers were notified that 
the police were on the qui vive on the chosen route, so at the 
eleventh hour the course was changed, the start taking place 
at Caterham Junction, and the line running through Oxted, 
1 Dec. 1887. 



HISTORICAL. Ill 

Wcsterham, River Head and Ightliam and back. The men 
were despatched at minute intervals, and no poHce interference 
took place at the start, nineteen men in all being sent off. A 
number of riders went out to meet the returning competitors, 
some of whom awaited them at the top of the hill out of God- 
stone, and here Marriott was sighted— hatless and smothered in 
dust. Mat Sinclair, the Scottish champion, set a fair pace for 
him on a tricycle, whilst Messrs. G. L. Hillier and C. E. Liles 
rode quietly along some few yards in the rear, when within a 
mile of home an approaching pony carriage was suddenly drawn 
across the road and a constable in blue and another in plain 
clothes stopped the leader and the accompanying trio and took 
their names and addresses, Marriott going off at top speed the 
moment he was released, to the intense disgust of the officers, 
who hastily jumping into the trap made an unavailing effort to 
catch him. Marriott won by 25 minutes from George Smith, 
W. Bourdon being third. No further action was taken by the 
police except the issue of the following notice : — 

Persons using bicycles, including tricycles, are hereby cautioned 
that such vehicles are carriages within the meaning of the High- 
way and Metropolitan Police Acts. Furious driving (Taylor v. 
Goodwin, decided by the Judges, March 25, 1879). The Metro- 
politan Police Acts impose a penalty on any person who shall ride 
or drive furiously, or so as to endanger the life or limb of any 
person, or to the common danger of the passengers in any thorough- 
fare. The police are directed to ascertain the names and addresses 
of persons about to take part in any bicycle or tricycle race within 
the metropolitan police district, or to proceed against, and, if neces- 
sary, to take into custody, any persons violating the above law. 
The provisions of the law as to obstructions are independent of the 
above. 

It will be easily seen that the road race, being obviously an 
illegal contest, even if it had done no more than necessitate the 
issuing such a notice, had already accomplished more harm 
than good to the sport of cycling. 

C. E. Liles won the Surrey Cup at the autumn meeting in 
34 mins. 69 1 sees., W. Brown second, and H. W. Gaskell third. 



112 CYCLING. 

In the month of September Mr. Alfred Nixon rode from 
London to John o' Groat's in 8 days 23 hours on a front-steering 
tricycle, distance about 750 miles. 

'The Times' contained in October a letter signed D.C.L., in 
which the writer slated that although he had suffered for twenty- 
live years from a spinal affection which rendered it impossible 
for him to undergo a journey by train or vehicle, he ' . . . . 
had just undertaken a tricycle tour through Sussex of 115 
miles.* He added that, throughout the trip, he had not only 
felt better in health but had absolutely been in less physical 
pain than at any other period during the previous quarter of a 
century. Without doubt the affection in this case must have 
been partly nervous, the novelty and excitement of the exercise 
taking the sufferer's attention somewhat from his troubles. 

W. F. Sutton made an attempt upon the twenty-four 
hours bicycle road record with success, covering 260^ miles in 
that time, whilst a few days later J. S. Smith and his wife on 
an Invincible sociable rode ten miles on the Palace Track in 
41 mins. 40J- sees., best on record. 

Lengthy discussions on large wheels versus small wheels 
brought '83 to a close, and 1884, destined to be an important 
cycling year, opened with a meeting of lady members of the 
C.T.C., who discussed in camera the details of a suitable costume. 
Of course the ' Rational ' enthusiasts attended, but in the end 
a decision was come to mainly based upon the practical experi- 
ences of Mrs. J. S. Smith, Miss Choice, and several other well- 
known lady riders, the result as tested by C. T. C. ladies being 
in every way satisfactory. 

February saw the Stanley Show at the Floral Hall, Covent 
Garden, the Exhibition being in every way a conspicuous 
success. The Speedwell show, held a few days later at Bingley 
Hall, Birmingham, was also a success, and the Sportsman's 
Exhibition at the Agricultural Hall, Ishngton, was similarly 
fortunate. The makers, however, grumbled considerably at the 
number of the shows and contemplated action, which however 
they did not take until 1886. 



HISTORICAL. 113 

In March, the Birmingham Local Centre of the N. C. U. 
initiated the very valuable agitation for improved roads, which 
has been so energetically followed up. A great meeting was held 
under the presidency of tlie Mayor of Birmingham, at which 
cyclists, horse-owners, and horse-users banded themselves 
together to promote the agitation, and subsequently action was 
taken against sundry road surveyors with satisfactory results. 
As a consequence the Union has now some very convincing pre- 
cedents to lay before road surveyors who object to a demand 
on the part of cyclists for improved highways. 

The racing season opened with H. F. Wilson's win in the 
Surrey Cup race, F. Prentice being second, and H. H. Smith 
third ; time, 36 mins. 27 J sees. 

The Hampton Court meet was finally abandoned in this 
year, although a young and unknown club called a second 
meeting to discuss the matter, the general view being that 
' monster meets ' had served their purpose and were not likely 
to do the sport further service. At the end of May a Cyclists' 
Camp was held at the Alexandra Palace on the same lines as 
the Harrogate Camp, but proved a complete failure. The one 
redeeming point was some excellent racing. 

J. H. Adams rode from Land's End to John o' Groat's 
on a Facile safety bicycle, in 6 days 23 hrs. 45 mins., establish- 
ing a new record, and also making the first Safety record trip 
over the much frequented course. Mr. H. R. Goodwin ac- 
companied Mr. Adams part of the way, and then turning back, 
rode from John o' Groat's to Penrith, covering on a 38-inch 
Pacile 1,332 miles in 12 days 20 hours. 

On June 21 the first two of the Championship contests were 
held at Lillie Bridge (new track), the mile falling to H. A. 
Speechley, after a waiting race, C. E. Liles being second, and 
H. W. Gaskell third ; time, 3 mins. 30-I sees. The Twenty-five 
Miles Tricycle was won by C. E. Liles, H. J. Webb second, Sidney 
Lee third ; i hr. 28 mins. 58 sees. ; best on record. Another 
record was made by James Lennox, who beat Adams' Land's 
End to John o' Groat's record, on a Rudge ordinary bicycle, by 

I 



1 14 CYCLING. 

covering the distance in 6 daj's 19 hrs. 15 niins. R. Chambers 
practically walked over for the Five Miles Championship 
at Cardiff ; time, 15 mins. 364 sees., on June 28. On the same 
day the official timekeeper at the West Kent B. C. meeting 
returned Alfred Thompson's mile time in the fourth heat of the 
open mile as 2 mins. 39!- sees., giving the \ mile times, which 
he had been specially requested by Mr. G. Pembroke Coleman 
(who was away at the Championship) to note, as Thompson's 
private form pointed to his doing something good. A dead 
set was however made at the record, and it was not put upon 
the book. Thompson ran a trial the next week, but was very 
nervous at the start, and when the pistol went, one of his 
pace-makers fell and upset him altogether. Thompson held at 
this time the half-mile record, and had only a week or two 
before been deprived of the starting quarter record. The same 
evening G. L. Hillier made record for a flying quarter ; time, 
35|- sees., thus beating J. S. Whatton's 36! sees. 

The Ten Miles Championship of the North, run on the 
Wallsend track on July 12, fell to R. H. English in 30 mins. 
14^ sees., and caused that sterhng rider to take a foremost 
place in the opinion of amateur cycledom. On the same date 
the Five and Twenty-five Miles Tricycle Championships were 
run off on the Crystal Palace track, C. E. Liles winning 
both, H. J. Webb finishing second in the mile ; time, 3 mins. 
29^ sees., and Sidney Lee in the five mile ; time 18 mins. 
8 J sees. 

On July 14 the Fifty Miles Amateur Championship fell to 
F. R. Fry of Clifton after a splendid race with C. S. Wadey ; 
F. J. Nicolas third ; time, 2 hrs. 51 mins. 16J sees. 

On July 26 the holding of the Twenty-five Miles Amateur 
Championship brought to the front R. H. English of North 
Shields ; the race was run on the North Durham track, a small 
and by no means fast path, Speechley, Robinson, and Nicolas 
representing London ; they waited at the start, but English 
was off like a shot out of a gun, and fairly left the lot, lapping 
all his opponents and winning anyhow in i hr. 22 mins. o| sec. 



HISTORICAL. 115 

on a wet and heavy track ; D. H. Huie was second, and 
J. Tough third. 

The Harrogate Camp was again a great success this year. 
The Fifty Miles Road Championship of Ireland fell to E. S. 
McKay, H. H. Quinton second ; time, 3 hrs. 37 mins. 10 sees. 
M. Josef Kohout, of the Cesky Velociped Klub, Prague — a 
splendid specimen of the Continental cyclist — rode 2 20 J English 
miles (355 kilometres) from Hamburg, via Kiel to Flensburg, 
and back to Bonningstedt in twenty-four hours, and as he had 
to lift his heavy old-fashioned roadster over innumerable gates 
in the dark, this performance becomes the more remarkable. 
Alfred Nixon rode from London to Edinburgh in 2 days 23 
hours, a distance of 397 miles. 

On September 11 R. H. English made his debut on a 
London path in the Crystal Palace Challenge Cup race, distance 
fifteen miles. A fairly good field opposed him, but he dashed 
off the mark at a tremendous pace, and covered the first mile in 
2 mins. 42 sees., or only a fraction outside record ; twenty yards 
short of the mile William Brown, who had hung on to him up 
to this point, cracked, and English went right away, and beat 
every record from two to twenty miles — keeping on after win- 
ning the race for the purpose of securing the records. He 
established the following record times : 



2 


miles 


5 


55 


10 


)) 


15 


3) 


20 


J) 


20 


51 



English 


Coi 


?TIS 


min. sec. 


min. 


sec. 


5 32i 






14 2>f^ 


14 


4o| 


29 19I 


29 


3o| 


44 29I 


44 


-hll 


. 59 6| 


59 


20I 


60 







560 yards 

In the five miles race for the Kildare Cup, run at Lillie 
Bridge on the following Saturday, English pursued the same 
tactics, and though not riding nearly so fast, the first mile taking 
2 mins. 48 1- sees., he left Speechley in the first quarter of the 
second mile, and won again anyhow. The big Tynesider has 
never done better than he did on this occasion ; some severe 

I 2 



ii6 CYCLING. 

falls, and a desire to spurt fast for short distances, decidedly did 
him no good subsequently. 

W. F. Sutton, of the London Scottish B. C, successfully 
attempted to beat Nixon's London to Edinburgh trip on a 
tricycle, and covered the distance in 2 days 9 hrs. 5 mins. ; 
the first day's journey, 230 miles, being a best on record. 
His mount was a ' Cruiser ' made by Messrs. Hillman, Herbert 
& Cooper. Speechley made another best on record for grass 
when he won the Surrey Cup in 34 mins. i2f sees., H. F. 
Wilson being second, and R. Cripps third. 

On September 25 there was a Colony race meeting at the 
Crystal Palace, the frequenters of the path having a go at the 
records all round, with the following results. J. S. Smith 
and W. Brown on an Invincible tandem made the following 
records : 

min, sec. 

I mile 2 59I 

3 „ 9 23 

H. J. Webb tried to beat the single tricycle record for two 
miles, and succeeded by f second, doing 6 mins. 23! sees. 

G. Lacy Hillier tried to beat the bicycle records for five 
miles, and secured the following : 

min. sec. 

3 miles 8 32 

4 „ . . . . . . II 24 

5 5, 14 18 

On September 27 the manufacturers of the Kangaroo bicycle, 
Messrs. Hillman, Herbert & Cooper, promoted a one hundred 
miles road race, which was brought off under very favourable 
conditions, and resulted in a win for George Smith in 7 hrs. 1 1 
mins. 10 sees., the previous record being Appleyard's 7 hrs. 15 
mins. 18 sees, made in the L. B. C. Bath to London Club Race. 
S. Colder was second, and T. A. Edge third. On the same 
day a curious contest was decided between Major T. Knox 
Holmes, a veteran tricyclist of seventy-eight, and Mr. G. Lacy 
Hillier, a bicyclist of twenty-eight, the latter conceding the 
former the start of one mile for every year's difference in their 



HISTORICAL. 117 

respective ages in a ten hours' race. The veteran only dis- 
mounted for a trifle over five minutes, whilst the bicyclist stopped 
for over thirty-five minutes. The scores at the finish were, 
Major Knox Holmes 115 miles, loi to 115 being records, and 
G. L. Hillier 146 miles, 51 to 54 and loi to 146 being records. 
The Major thus won easily. The day was very unfavourable, 
being windy and wet. 

On October 17, the tandem tricycle record was twice beaten 
in an evening, first by J. S. Smith and W. Brown on an Invin- 
cible, who covered two miles in 6 mins. 6 sees. Immediately 
afterwards R. Cripps and H. F. Wilson covered the same dis- 
tance on a Humber tandem in 6 mins. 4 sees., whilst on the 
next day, the i8th, Messrs. Smith and Brown had another try, 
resulting as follows : 2 miles, 6 mins. 3 sees.; 3 miles, 9 mins. 
17 sees.; 4 miles, 12 mins. 37 sees.; 5 miles, 15 mins. 33 sees. 
On October 23 Cripps and Wilson covered 2 miles in 5 mins. 
54 sees., which stood as a record for a long time. 

1884 closed in a somewhat perturbed manner. Several 
road performances were being openly questioned in the 
public press, and the Union was engaged in investigating 
the bona fides of the various claims. An agitation was also in 
progress concerning the way round for racing paths, which ulti- 
mately resulted in the almost universal adoption of the left- 
hand inside practice of riding. The annual meeting of the 
C. T. C. was held in London, and certain revolutionary doctrines 
with regard to the internal management of the club, which had 
been advocated in a blustering and ferocious manner in all of 
the papers, were advocated at the meeting in mild and melli- 
fluous terms, singularly in contrast with the earlier steps of the 
dispute ; the voting, however, showed a large majority in favour 
of the status quo ante. 

The Stanley Show was held at the end of January in a 
canvas building erected on a piece of ground on the Thames 
Embankment, and was only a partial success, the weather 
being very bad. The dissolution of the first Liverpool Local 
Centre of the N. C. U. was one of the first important events of 



ii8 CYCLING. 

the year, a new centre being almost immediately formed to 
replace it by the energy of Mr. Lawrence Fletcher, of the 
Anfield B.C. 

In March commenced the great struggle between the N.C.U. 
and the A.A.A., the dispute being originated by some of the 
most prominent of the supporters of the dissolved Liverpool 
Local Centre. After a struggle the Union obtained all the 
points for which it had felt obliged in the interests of cycling 
to contend, thus becoming without any question the sole 
ruling body of cycling. Robert Cripps won the Surrey Cup, 
J. Prentice second, and C. S. Wadey third j time, 34 mins. 
4f sees. On May 28, F. J. Nicolas made records at 26 and 
27 miles in an attempt to beat the fifty miles record ; owing to 
exhaustion he gave up at thirty miles. Adams' Land's End to 
John o' Groat's record was beaten in June by E. Oxborrow by 
thirty-five minutes only ! 

About this time the news arrived of some of those marvel- 
lous records claimed by American riders which have from time 
to time reached England. The makers of those records were 
subsequently beaten by the strong English contingent which 
visited America, and the times have not been generally accepted. 
We do not, however, propose to enter into the newspaper con- 
troversy which took place on the subject, though some of it 
was amusing — and the whole of it was fierce. 

S. Sellers won the One Mile Championship at Lower Aston 
Grounds, Birmingham, by six inches from W. A. Illston, on June 
13, time 2 mins. 47!- sees.; and R. Cripps the Five ^liles Tri- 
cycle Championship in 16 mins. 53I- sees., G. Gatehouse being 
second. 

On June 15, at Cambridge, M. V. J. A. Webber, who had 
suddenly developed first-class form, won the Cambridge Uni- 
versity B.C. 2 miles Invitation race from W. A. Illston, having 
in his heat beaten English's two miles time by two seconds, 
Webber's time being 5 mins. 30^ sees.; whilst on the same 
occasion P. Furnivall and George Gatehouse made a record 
for one mile on a tandem, doing 2 mins. 47-!- sees. ; a day or so 



HISTORICAL. 119 

later this pair made an attempt to cut the tandem record at five 
miles, held by H. N. Corsellis and J. Lee, and succeeded in 
making records at 2 miles, 5 mins. 48 secs.j 3 miles, 8 mins. 
39 sees.; 4 miles, 11 mins. 30 sees.; and 5 miles, 14 mins. 
22 J sees. — a marvellous performance. 

H. R. Goodwin of Manchester, whose long ride with J. H. 
Adams has been mentioned, fairly echpsed himself, by starting 
on June i and covering 2,054 miles by June 19, in the course 
of which trip he rode 1,754 miles in 15 days 19 hrs. 45 mins. 
Webber won the Five Miles Amateur Championship on June 27, 
at Jarrow track, in 14 mins. 22-?- sees., after one of the finest races 
ever seen in a championship contest, D. W. Laing being second 
and R. Chambers third. July produced another crop of records. 
On July 6, Mrs. Allen of Birmingham covered 200 miles on 
the road in 23 hrs. 54 mins., and C. H. R. Gosset covered 
231I miles inside 24 hours. 

On July II the N.C.U. held its One and Twenty-five Miles 
Tricycle Championships on the Crystal Palace track, and the 
contests proved most exciting. P. Furnivall won the One 
Mile Championship after a dead heat with P. T. Letchford 
in 3 mins. 5f sees., having however made a best on record in 
his heat; time 2 mins. 5 8 1- sees. The most remarkable fact 
about the race was that it was absolutely the first single tricycle 
race in which Furnivall had taken part. The Twenty-five 
Miles Championship was won in splendid style by George Gate- 
house, who made most of the running ; records were made 
for two and three miles, and from eleven to twenty-five miles. 
The full distance he covered in i hr. 26 mins. 29! sees. 

On July 9 Webber beat the mile record on the Crystal Palace 
track, doing 2 mins. 393- sees. James Lennox again secured 
the ' end to end ' record, covering the distance in 6 days 16 hrs. 
10 mins. In France M. Rousset rode 220 miles (354 kilo- 
metres) in 24 hours, and 240 miles (400 kilometres) in 28 hrs. 
(consecutive), an excellent performance, especially for an elderly 
rider. On July 18 R. H. English won the Fifty Miles Cham- 
pionship from G. Gatehouse in 2 hrs. 45 mins. 13 1 sees., record 



1 2d CYCLING. 

being beaten by English, Gatehouse and Nicolas from 29 to 
38 miles inclusive. English also won the Twenty-five Miles 
Championship at the Ayleston Road Grounds, Leicester, time 
I hr. 20 mins. 13 sees. ; R. Cripps second, and W. Terry third. 
The Harrogate Camp was again a marked success, whilst a 
southern camp at Tunbridge Wells was also fairly successful. 
On August 25 E. Oxborrow on a Facile covered 263 miles 
inside 24 hours, and established a new record for that time. 

The news of the Springfield 'World's Records ' came duly 
to hand, and the times were somewhat severely criticised ; the 
fact that the Englishmen had won the lion's share of the prizes 
was however a satisfactory point. 

G. Lacy Hillier visited Leipsic in September, and defeated 
the amateur champion of Germany and others in a 10,000 
metres scratch race, beating the German record at the same 
time, and bringing back one of the finest prizes ever given for 
a cycle race. H. A. Speechley carried off the Surrey Cup for 
the second time, W. Terry second, and A. R. Ivlacbeth third ; 
time, 37 mins. 39 1- sees. 

ISIessrs Rudge & Co. promoted a twenty-four hours' ride on 
Rotary tricycles, which was won by J. H. Adams, who covered 
232^ miles in the time stated, whilst about the same time 
Messrs. Starley & Sutton promoted a one hundred miles road 
race for Rover bicycles, which fell to George Smith in 7 hrs. 
5 mins. 16 sees. In September T. R. Marriott on a Humber 
tricycle of his own make rode from Land's End to John o' 
Groat's in 6 days 15 hrs. 22 mins., beating all records, bicycle or 
tricycle, over the distance. 

An effort was made to establish a vigilance committee of 
race-giving clubs to deal with the question of the ' Makers' 
Amateurs,' a name given to a class of riders in amateur races 
who are suspected of being paid for riding certain makes of 
machines ; the vigilance committee failed owing to want of 
cohesion amongst the most prominent race-giving clubs. 

In November the C. T. C. accepted with much regret the 
resignation of its Chairman, Mr. N. F. Duncan, who had 



HISTORICAL. 121 

done good service to the club during his period of office. Mr. 
Duncan resigned as he was just about to take holy orders in 
the Church of England. 

' Kangaroo hunts/ i.e. paper chases on bicycles, were very 
popular during the winter. The N. C. U. agitation concerning 
the mending of roads was organised and pushed on, and a very 
eventful year was closed by the usual festivities, accounts of 
which filled the pages of the cycling papers well on into 1886. 

On January 16 the A. A. A. meeting at Anderton's Hotel, 
Fleet Street, passed a resolution by which 'the war,' as it was 
termed, which had created no end of trouble and annoyance, 
was put an end to. Since this time the two associations have 
worked side by side and hand in hand for the benefit of amateur 
sport. 

In February, the cycling world was startled by the receipt 
of the sad news that Herbert Liddell Cortis, the ex-amateur 
champion at all distances in 1879 and three distances in 1880, 
was dead. He died at Carcoar in New South Wales, from the 
after effects of a low fever from which he suffered at Coonamble, 
where he went on his first arrival in the colony. One of the 
most popular of men, and in the opinion of many good judges 
the best rider that ever crossed a wheel, the memory of H. L. 
Cortis will always remain green in the annals of cycling. 

The Stanley Show was held in the same month at the Royal 
Aquarium, Westminster, and was a pronounced success in every 
way. 

In March came the welcome news that the League of 
American Wheelmen had taken action against the Makers' 
Amateurs on their side of the water, and suspended a number 
of the best men who were known to be employed to ride for the 
two leading bicycle-making firms. The L. A. W.'s action even- 
tually drove the best of this class into the professional ranks. 
The English N. C. U. had at this time a nuniber of riders under 
suspension, but on April 22 all suspensions expired in order 
to give the men yet another chance, of which, however, most of 
them did not avail themselves. 



122 CYCLING. 

H. A. Speechley won the Surrey Cup for the third time, 
thus making it his property, as Cortis had done before him, 
P. Furnivall finishing second, and A. E. Langley third \ time, 
41 mins. 44^ sees. 

The International Tournament, promoted by Mr. F. Cath- 
cart, the lessee of the Alexandra Palace track, which was held in 
May, proved a sporting, and it is to be hoped also a financial, 
success. Belgian, Scotch, and Irish cychsts competed, and 
some excellent sport was ';dtnessed, the English team winning 
the challenge shield. W. Z\. Illston made a new record for half 
a mile, i min. i6i sees. ; whilst A. E. Langley covered the mile 
on a Marriott & Cooper tricycle in 2 mins. 55^ sees. ; E. Kiderlin 
on a Beeston tricycle making record for 2 miles. The Tour- 
nament is to become an annual fixture. 

The tricyclists foregathered at Hampton Court in iMay, 
the meet including nearly 500 riders of the broad-gauge 
machine, and proving highly successful. At the Gainsborough 
meeting H. A. Speechley cut his own starting quarter record, 
doing 38f sees., this time being tied later on by E. M. Mayes. 
The Society of Cyclists visited Colchester, considerable pre- 
parations having been made by the hospitable townsfolk to 
welcome and accommodate the anticipated visitors, who, how- 
ever, arrived in such meagre numbers that much disappoint- 
ment was caused. A rose-coloured account of the visit, which 
appears to have had little or nothing to do with cycUng, is to 
be found in the organ of the Society. 

The first of the championship meetings was held at Weston- 
super-Mare on the new track on July 14, 1886. The One J^Iiie 
Tricycle Championship fell to Percy Furnivall, A. E. Langley 
second, and P. T. Letchford third ; time, 3 mins. 5! sees. The 
Twenty-five Miles Bicycle Championship fell to J. E. Fenlon, 
W. Ratclitfe second, and G. Gatehouse third ; time, i hr. 
19 mins. 29I sees., the fastest Twenty-five Miles Championship 
ever ridden. 

On June 19, the North Road Club promoted a fifty miles 
race open to all sorts of cycles ; some mischievous persons 



HISTORICAL. 123 

sent letters to the police authorities signed with the name of a 
cydist who was known to object to these races, but no trouble 
ensued. The ordinary bicycles were set to concede the tan- 
dems a start, but were not in the hunt. The race was hand- 
somely won by C. E. Liles and A. J. Wilson (time 3 hrs. 
16 mins. 58 sees.), J. Lee and G. Gatehouse second (time 3 hrs. 
23 mins. 16 sees.), both couples riding Beeston Humber Tan- 
dems. E. Hale on a Premier safety bicycle was third in 3 hrs. 
29 mins. 55 sees., and O. G. Duncan was the first man in on 
an ordinary bicycle in 3 hrs. 31 mins. 22 sees., though a severe 
cropper through a collision with a Safety rider doubtless had a 
great deal to do with the failure of this excellent wheelman. 

On the 2ist, A. H. Fletcher rode 251 miles in 24 hours on 
a Cripper tricycle, thus beating C. H. R. Gosset's 23 1| miles. 
The I i\Iile Championship was run on June 26 on the Jarrow 
track, and proved in every way a success, victory resting with 
Percy Furnivall, H. A, Speechley second, and W. A. Illston third; 
time, 2 mins. 46 sees. ; one of the finest races ever seen for 
what is practically the blue ribbon of cycling. F. W. AUard, on 
a Marlboro', made a record for the tricycle mile at Long Eaton 
on the same day ; time, 2 mins. 54 sees. ; whilst F. J. Osmond 
and S. E. Williams, on an Invincible tandem, at the Crystal 
Palace, covered 2 miles in 5 mins. 47f sees., which is the 
accepted record for this distance. 

On July 3, F. W. AUard pushed his Marlboro' Club to the 
front in the Five Miles Tricycle Championship at Hampton 
Park, Glasgow ; P. Furnivall being second, and G. Gatehouse, 
who most unwisely rode a waiting race, third ; time, 24 mins. 
423- sees. 

One of the most astonishing feats of the year was performed 
by George P. Mills, of the Anfield B. C, who, leaving Land's 
End at midnight on July 4, reached John o' Groat's in 5 days 
I hour 45 mins., beating T. R. Marriott's record by i day 6 hrs. 
40 mins. Mills rode a 53-inch Beeston Humber bicycle. The 
distance is 861 miles, and he only slept for six hours in all 
during the journey. 



124 CYCLING. 

On July TO, F. J. Osmond, on a 6o-inch Invincible, beat 
M. V. J. Webber's three-quarter mile record of 2 mins. o sees., 
doing I min. 58 J sees. On July 17, the Twenty-five Miles 
Tricycle Championship was run at the Alexandra Park track, 
the weather being very bad, rain falling almost without intermis- 
sion all the afternoon. G. Gatehouse (the holder) preferred 
the waiting game, and was beaten in the run home by the Irish- 
man, R. J. Mecredy of Dublin, the editor of that popular 
journal ' The Irish Cyclist,' who won handsomely by four yards 
from Gatehouse, John Lee third ; time, i hr. 55 mins. 4oisecs. 
The winner rode a Quadrant tricycle. 

On July 24, the Five Miles Bicycle Championship was 
run off in the Long Eaton track, and resulted finally in a win 
for the champion short-distance man of the year, P. Furnivall, 
W. A. Illston second, and G. Gatehouse third ; time, 14 mins. 
44i sees. 

The Harrogate Camp was a greater success than ever, whilst 
the Southern Cychsts'Camp at Guildford, though not so favoured 
as to weather, also proved a success. 

In Ireland, R. J. Mecredy, the Tricycle Twenty-five jNIiles 
Champion, organised a most successful tour, a number of 
riders taking part in a thoroughly enjoyable excursion, which 
' Faed ' Wilson has recounted in his readable * Two Trips to 
the Emerald Isle.' ' The Irish Tour ' bids fair to become a 
popular fixture. 

About the second week in August a perfect epidemic of 
' records ' broke out, which are here epitomised. C. E. Taylor 
rode a mile on a tricycle at Bridlington Quay in 2 mins. 49 sees. 
G. P. Mills rode 273 miles on the road in twenty-four hours on 
an ordinary bicycle, and J. E. Fenlon at Paignton made records 
at 8, II to 18, and 21 to 25 miles inclusive. 

The Fifty Miles Bicycle Championship was run at Lillie 
Bridge on August 14, and fell to J. E. Fenlon, W. F. Ball 
second, J. H. Adams third ; time, 2 hrs. 47 mins. 21I- sees. 
Fenlon, who rode a Premier racer, made a waiting race of it 
until a Httle over a lap from home. 



HISTORICAL. 125 

Records continued to fall like autumn leaves. George P. 
Mills rode a Beeston Cripper tricycle from Land's End to John 
o' Groat's in 5 days 10 hrs., thus beating the tricycle record by 
30 hours. Furnivall and Gatehouse also did some marvellous 
times on the bicycle and tricycle respectively ; but owing to 
the inaccuracy of the official watch the records claimed were 
rejected. On the road E. B. Turner and S. Lee cut the fifty 
mile tricycle record, doing 3 hrs. 9. mins. 55 sees, on a Marriott 
Humber tandem ; and Alfred Fletcher, on an Ivel Safety, did 
the same distance in 3 hrs. 9 mins. 5 6 J sees. On August 28, in 
the North Road Club's one hundred mile race, E. Hale made 
a road record on a Premier for fifty miles, 3 hrs. 6 mins. 25^- 
secs. ; and J. H. Adams and R. V. Asbury a one hundred 
miles record on an AL & C. Humber tandem of 7 hrs. 29 mins. 
5 sees. George Gatehouse was credited with no fewer than 
nineteen records on the tricycle, being an unbroken string from 
two miles in 5 mins. 37I- sees, to twenty miles in 59 mins. loj 
sees. ; all made on a Beeston Cripper Tricycle. C. Potter, of 
the Surrey B.C., beat the fifty mile bicycle record in his Club 
Fifty Miles Championship, G. Pembroke Coleman holding the 
watch ; time, 2 hrs. 41 mins. 40?- sees. A. J. Wilson and G. P. 
Mills beat the fifty miles tandem record on a Beeston Humber 
geared up to 68 inches, doing 2 hrs. 46 mins. 2|- sees. The 
Surrey Cup was won by Furnivall, W. F. Ball second. 

The season closed with a lot of attempts at record making. 
The C.T.C. membership showed a steady increase, whilst the 
N.C.U., though somewhat hampered by an absurd and imprac- 
ticable proposition to abolish the amateur definition, was still 
doing good work for the sport, especially in the direction of 
road improvement, in which it was working hand in hand with the 
C.T.C. The object of this chapter has been to trace the steady 
development of this popular sport to a period when its position 
is clearly assured, having become almost, if not quite, national 
in its importance. The Post Office use the ' Carrier ' cycle in con- 
nexion with the Parcel Post, whilst innumerable tradesmen 
use cycles of one form or another to distribute their wares. The 



126 



CYCLING. 



evening papers are also distributed by the ' Carrier.' The rights 
of cydists on the public roads are recognised by all, and the 
position of the wheelman with regard to the pubhc has been 
vastly improved. This chapter brings the history of cycling 
down to the date of the publication of the present volume — 
February 1887. 




A COUNTRY POSTMAN. 



127 



CHAPTER III. 

RIDING. 

Riding a bicycle is, for obvious reasons, more difficult than 
riding a tricycle. There are, however, points in common be- 
tween the two classes of machine, and for this reason many of 
the instructions are equally applicable to either. Thus the 
directions with regard to pedalling, holding the handles, atti- 
tude when riding, &c., may all be apphed with little, if any, 
variation to the bicyclist as well as the tricyclist. The first 
necessity for the learner of the art of bicycle riding is a 
machine on which to make the early efforts — so well remem- 
bered by every active rider. This should be one of that class 
of original velocipedes known by the derisive titles of ' bone- 
shakers,' ' timber-trucks,' and other facetious names, relics of 
a past age. The frames were of heavy sohd square iron rod, 
in many cases coiled and curved in a clumsy attempt to break 
the jars of the roads ; the wheels generally of hickory wood, 
with a heavy hub faced with a brass plate, and tired with iron, 
of course rattled tremendously over stones. The head was 
a long and heavy socket turning on a curved shoulder which 
was unpleasantly liable to fly right round, and either strike a 
heavy body blow or catch the leg between the tire and the 
backbone. At the top of the head was an elaborate bracket, 
bearing a 1 6-inch handle bar, which was about on a line with 
the rider's chest. The whole fabric was absurdly heavy, and, 
if it had seen service, loose in every joint. The cranks were 
very long, perhaps eight or nine inches, and the pedals of 
the most primitive construction. It speaks volumes for the 



128 CYCLING. 

conscientious efforts of the early builders of velocipedes, that 
so nian} of their machines have so well and so long withstood 
the heavy work to which they have for years been subjected ; 
generations of novices having wrestled and fallen with the faith- 
ful timbertruck in their efforts to master the mysteries of the 
sport. Riders who have had ten or twelve years' experience 
will recall with a feeling of pleasure the day when, after many 
struggles, they really acquired the art of riding, and purchased 
the brilliantly coloured hickory-wheeled bone-shaker which 



■^Ip 

















)^y^^y^^' 



EARLY STRUGGLES. 



they now lend to their friends who wish to become cychsts in 
their turn. 

There is even now nothing so satisfactory as this old pattern 
machine for learning to ride ; it is very low, in fact the rider 
should be able to touch the ground on either side ; the long 
spring diminishes the effects of contact with the kerb or a brick 
— and it is remarkable with what pertinacity the beginner will 
make for a brick or any other awkward looking obstacle which 
may come more immediately within his agitated purview when 



RIDING. 129 

there are acres of clear road around him at his disposal. The 
beginner cannot in his nervous trepidation minimise the shock 
of an inevitable collision as the experienced cyclist can, and it 
is consequently a distinct advantage to him to have the safe- 
guard of a long and flexible spring. The shape, make, and 
general type of the original machine will therefore be found to 
offer special advantages to the learner ; and a point in its favour 
must not be lost sight of, that is, that it affords to the attendant 
who is instructing, plenty of places which he can conveniently 
grip while steadying the novice ; the long horizontal spring, and 
the heavy bracket of the high-pitched handle-bar being equally 
convenient for the purpose. It is not difficult to procure one 
of these bone-shakers should the intending cyclist not live near 
enough to a riding school. The best way is to advertise in 
one or other of the cycling papers, when the necessary hack 
will be obtained for from 2/, to 3/. 

Here it will be well to put in a word of warning to those 
who wish to learn or to those who desire to teach, and this 
is to observe that none of the new dwarf bicycles known 
as 'Safeties' are suitable for purposes of instruction. Eveiy 
practical rider is aware of the added difficulty of steering 
these new machines when of the ordinary bicycle type with 
the big wheel in front. They are by no means so easily 
managed as an ordinary bicycle, owing to the fact that the 
wheel centre is generally placed some inches in front of a 
vertical line dropped through the steering-head centres, whilst 
the pedal centres are carried still further back, instead of 
being coincident with the wheel centres as in the ordinary 
bicycle. For these reasons, although a practised cyclist can 
very soon attain proficiency upon this dwarf type of machine, 
unless the learner has a very strong aptitude for the task his 
novitiate will be notably lengthened if he is put upon one of 
these sensitive steering machines. The other variety of safety 
bicycle has been described as having the big wheel a little one 
and the front wheel behind. These are machines in which the 
rear wheel is the larger and is driven tricycle wise by a chain, 

K 



I30 CYCLING. 

\vhilst the front wheel is a small one used only for steering, and 
they are even more erratic in the matter of steering, until properly 
mastered by constant practice. So the beginner will be wise if 
he avoids ' Dwarf Bicycles ' and ' Safeties ' and adheres to the 
use of a hack of the original bone-shaker pattern, or adopts as 
small a bicycle of the ordinary type as will permit the free action 
of the legs, so that when riding his hmbs do not come in contact 
with the handle-bar. Of course, should circumstances confine 
the rider to the use of a Safety, he can learn on it, but his 
struggles would be much shortened by avoiding that class for 
his initiatory efforts. 

The practical assistance and advice of a friend or attendant 
wall go a great way to getting over the more serious preliminary 
difficulties of the work. Instructors are to be found in most big 
towns throughout the country. There are schools and agencies, 
where cycle-riding is tau^-ht in a complete and satisfactory 
manner, and this is, without doubt, by far the best method of 
acquiring the art ; for the attendants and instructors have had 
in most cases plenty of miscellaneous experience in the task 
which they undertake, and are thus enabled to bring their 
charges safely through the ordeal without any serious or un- 
necessary damage. Some pupils, of course, are more clumsy 
than others, and although we do not give much credit to the 
oft-told stories of men who simply take a bicycle, jump upon 
it, and ride off without any previous experience of the machine, 
yet, on the other hand, we do know of many cases in which 
a careful and painstaking instructor has taught a beginner to 
ride, mount, and dismount in three separate lessons of half-an- 
hour each. For this reason we advise the would-be bicyclist, 
if possible, to go to a properly qualified teacher. The charges 
for mstruction vary in different places, but a complete course, 
enabling the learner to mount, dismount, and ride sufficiently 
well, can generally be obtained for about half a guinea — whilst, 
if the learner decides to purchase for subsequent use a new 
machine of his teacher, instruction in its use will often be a 
part of the bargain. 



RIDING. 131 

It frequently happens, liowever, that the cychst i7t posse 
does not reside near enough to any of the cychng academies to 
undergo the regular course of tuition, and is constrained to fall 
back upon his own resources to acquire the desired accom- 
plishment ; and, arduous as the task may appear, many men 
have triumphed in a very short time over all the difficulties 
which present themselves. As actual experience is always the 
best guide, it will be well to relate the course taken by a well- 
known rider, who taught himself enough in the course of a few 
hours to make bolder and more practical essay upon a con- 
venient and quiet piece of road. Procuring a bone-shaker over 
which he could just stand, he took it into the garden, where, 
on a level and smoothly kept lawn, a horizontal bar had been 
erected. Standing beneath the bar he, with its assistance, got 
across the machine with one pedal in a convenient position, 
and then, steeling himself for the effort, let go of the bar — 
\vhich he had been firmly grasping with one hand— thrust 
wildly with his foot at the descending pedal, grasped the handle, 
and, shooting a couple of yards or so away from the bar, fell 
ignominiously sideways upon the turf; the small rosewood 
handle, owing to the weight of the clumsy vehicle, each 
time punching a neat hole about one and a half inch in dia- 
meter and three inches deep in the neatly-kept lawn. These 
holes sorely puzzled the gardener next morning, and he was 
furbishing up his mole-traps to capture the strange and de- 
structive animal which had caused them, when he learned the 
truth. 

These struggles went on for nearly three hours, off and on, 
a white stone being used to mark the farthest point reached 
until the whole length of the lawn was covered without a mis- 
hap, and the ' hill ' at the other end (a grassy slope of about 
eight feet) successfully surmounted. A modification of the 
same plan may be successfully adopted by the solitary learner. 
A stout rope stretched between two trees, the lintel of a con- 
veniendy placed doorway, or in fact any overhead point on 
which the learner can secure a firm hold, wliich will enable 



132 CYCLING, 

him to sit upon his machine, and place himself comfortably in 
position for a fair start, should be at once devised or taken 
advantage of. The rider who teaches himself should do his 
best to secure a very small machine, as this will minimise the 
chances of injury in case of falls. Should the learner be able 
to secure the assistance of a practical friend, however, he will 
be very much better off ; or two beginners can materially aid 
one another by following out carefully the suggestions and 
hints appended below. Supposing them to have obtained a 
sound and serviceable machine of the old type. A cycle maker 
or repairer, or in default of these skilled workmen an ordinary 
blacksmith, should be got to run his eye over it so as to see 
that no serious defects or damages exist, and then the learners, 
if everything is right and the machine quite safe, can proceed 
to give one another lessons in turn. A few minutes at a time 
will be ample, say five or ten at the outside, and then the 
second man should take his turn, as at first the hmbs tire very 
rapidly, and the tyro apparently goes backwards instead of pro- 
gressing. The running and walking beside the machine stretches 
the legs, and enables the dismounted man to recover himself by 
the time he is called upon to mount again. A stout piece of rope 
about a yard long should be firmly fixed to the left-hand crutch 
of the handle, and it should have two or three knots tied in it 
to afford a good hold and preclude the possibility of its slipping 
through the attendant's hands. The saddle, which should of 
course be firmly fixed so as not to slip, should be put well back 
in the middle of the spring, great care being taken to see that it 
is even, and set straight. A saddle put on crookedly, or a little 
higher on one side than the other, will often mar a man's efforts 
to a serious extent when he is in the early stages of his task. 
Beginner number two should then stand in front of the 
machine on the left of the driving wheel, and grasp the head 
firmly with his left hand, steadying it at the same time with his 
right hand on the left-hand handle of the machine (he will be 
facing backwards, of course), with the end of the piece of rope 
in his left hand. Beginner number one will then stand across 



RIDING. 133 

the machine (looking forwards) and taking hold of the handles 
with both hands, will place his left foot upon the step, raise 
himself thereon, and seat himself in the saddle. The piece of 
road chosen should be slightly down hill. The assistant {p?'o 
tern.) should then, whilst carefully holding his friend up, remove 
his left hand from the head to the left-hand handle, and his 
right hand from the handle to the spring or backbone behind 
the rider. He will then of course be facing forward, and will 
try to hold the learner up on the machine, always doing his 
best to prevent his falling away from him, i.e. over to the right, 
while, should the learner at any time so fall, the attendant 
must pull with all his strength on the rope so as to prevent the 
weighty and clumsy machine falling heavily to the ground with 
the rider. Several cases have been known in which a broken 
leg, and in one case a very bad fracture of the thigh bone, have 
resulted from such a fall with a solid iron-framed bone-shaker, 
and this danger is obviated to a very great extent by the use of 
the rope, as suggested above, which also subserves other pur- 
poses. The mounted man should not attempt to pedal at first, 
but should simply sit upright upon the saddle with a firm grip on 
the handles, and try his best to keep his balance by their use. 
The rule for steering is exceedingly simple, but its difficulty to 
the novice lies in the fact that, despite its extreme simplicity, 
it requires the rider to take instantaneously the exactly opposite 
course to that which his natural impulse suggests. Supposing a 
rider feels himself faUing to the right, the natural impulse will 
cause him to turn away from the direction of the threatened 
danger — a course which is instantaneously fatal j the rule, which 
is emphasised by italics, runs as follows : — 

' Tuni the steering 'wheel toiuaj'ds the side to which the machine 
is f alii n^.^ 

For example, if the rider feels iiimself falling to the right, 
he should pull the right handle towards him, and push slightly 
at the left handle, and after a swerve or two, and a stagger 
towards a calamity on the opposite side, the balance is regained. 



134 CYCLING. 

Of course, at first there is a strong and natural tendency to 
overdo this corrective action, so that the beginner who turns 
his wheel sharply to the right to counteract an impending fall 
to the right finds himself the next moment falling to the left, 
owing to his having overdone this turn ; and then, getting into 
a wild and flurried state, of course he falls. A capable and 
expert rider keeps his balance by following exactly the same 
rule, but the corrective turn of the wheel is infinitesimal, as the 
balance of the body of course co-operates to a very great 
extent with the maintenance of the equilibrium by means of 
the steering. The natural tendency of the beginner, as pointed 
out above, is always to turn his wheel the wrong way ; so the 
attendant should keep on repeating to the rider the maxim, 
' Turn the wheel towards the side to which you are falling.' 

During all this time the mounted man should keep his feet 
off the pedals and concentrate all his attention on the steering, 
the attendant for the time being pushing him along at a fast 
walking pace, say four to five miles per hour. After a short 
time the rider will acquire the knack of steering sufficiently 
well to warrant his placing his feet on the pedals. This will 
momentarily upset all he has learnt, as from the position of the 
saddle any power he may consciously or unconsciously exert 
will tend to thrust the wheel out of its direct course, and thus 
to throw a severe strain upon the hands and arms, which are 
called upon to steady the steering wheel. It is an admitted 
fact that practical tricyclists are by far the best subjects amongst 
the learners of bicycle riding, more particularly those who 
have ridden the Humber type of tricycle. They have of 
necessity mastered the art of correcting the lateral thrust of the 
leg by means of the handles and careful pedalhng, and they are 
thus quite capable of correcting it in the early stages of their 
career as bicyclists. Even those riders who have only ridden 
the bath-chair pattern tricycles are better off in this respect 
than the absolute beginner, for they have acquired at least the 
knack of moving their feet in rotary action, and are thus 
able to propel the machine without awkwardness even if they 



RIDIXG. 135 

cannot balance it. The complete novice, on the other hand, as 
often as not pushes at the wrong time, awkwardly throws his 
weight on the ascending pedal, thrusts the wheel out of its 
course b)' jerky lateral efforts to propel it, and frequently misses 
his pedal with, of course, disastrous results to his cuticle. A 
course of careful and intelligent tricycling (necessarily on a 
rotary-action machine) before commencing the initiatory stages 
of bicycling is for this reason most emphatically recommended. 

The beginner's two great difficulties wuU be found first in 
the steering, as detailed above, and then in the pedalling. 
The position of the rider on the bone-shaker, so far behind the 
pedals, converts all the pedal action into a lateral thrust ; this 
increases the tendency to unsteady steering, and the beginner 
must use both arms in concert to overcome, by means of the 
handles, the strong tendency to lateral thrust of the leg action. 
Of course, when the more modern type of machine is in due 
course mounted, the thrust of the leg approximates more closely 
to a vertical than a horizontal line, and as a consequence the 
tendency to irregular steering is very largely modified, whilst 
the strain on the wrists and arms is reduced to a minimum. 

Having sufficiently mastered the art of propelling and 
steering the machine, the beginner will have to learn to mount 
and dismount ; and here again the services of the assistant and 
the rope are very valuable. The most dangerous fall w^hich a 
man can have is that which occurs at the moment of mounting 
or dismounting, as the sufferer not infrequently falls into, or 
on to, the machine, and very serious injuries may easily be 
inflicted by contact with the sharp angles of the iron frame, 
the edges of the step or the pedals, or with the handles. To 
learn to dismount, the rider, very carefully watched over by his 
friend, should begin a long curve to the left, so that the 
machine leans slighdy to that — the getting-off — side ; then 
reaching back carefully with the left foot, he should feel for the 
step, taking care not to put his toe amongst the spokes — w^hich 
would of course result in a severe fall. Having found the 
step— and the assistant will do well to advise him by word of 



136 CYCLING. 

mouth in which direction to. move his foot — he should rise 
upon It fairly at once, then throwing some of his weight upon 
the handles and the rest upon his left leg, turning the machine 
still more to the left and throwing more weight upon the 
left-hand handle, the right leg is brought sharply over the hind 
wheel and the rider drops easily and quickly to the ground, 
his right hand leaving the handle at the last moment as soon 
as some degree of proficiency has been acquired, and falling 
on to the back of the saddle. In after experiences, when higher 
machines are used, this dropping of the right hand upon the 
saddle will be found a great assistance in easing the drop of a 
dismount. The dismount should be assiduously and carefully 
practised until the rider feels perfect confidence in the execution 
of the manoeuvre. 

When this stage has been reached, and this is determined 
by the amount of practice the novice is able to give, he may go 
a step further and learn to mount. This is most easily accom- 
plished in the following manner : — The beginner should 
practise a few dismounts on the lines laid down above. Then 
dwell for as long a time as possible on the step ere descending 
to the ground, until after a fev/ experiments he finds he can 
stand on the step and keep the balance of the machine for 
several yards at a time. The next stage is to stand thus on 
the step, preferably on a slightly down-hill road, and while so 
doing, to bend the left knee (holding firmly on to the handles 
at the same time) and just touch the ground with the right foot, 
immediately afterwards straightening the left knee and regaining 
the saddle. This exercise may be continued, with intervals for 
rest, until the rider feels quite confident of his own proficiency. 
And now comes the crucial test — that of mounting from the 
ground — a feat for which the above recommended exercises have 
gradually prepared the learner. On the oft-mentioned piece 
of slightly falling road with the wind behind if possible, so as 
to make everything as easy as circumstances admit, the learner 
should place himself astride the hind wheel and put his left 
foot fairly on the step, the handles being firmly grasped. 



RIDING. 137 

Throwing most of the weight upon the left foot, several hops 
should be made with the right foot until a sufficient pace is 
attained. Then, holding well on to the handles, the left leg 
should be sharply straightened, and the rider should get into 
the saddle. This should prove an easy task after the necessary 
pace has been got up if the exercises set forth at length in the 
foregoing pages have been carefully and completely carried out. 

At first, of course, from nervousness the beginner will be in 
a great hurry, but as soon as he gains confidence by frequently 
repeated executions of this movement, he should seek to per- 
form it slowly and with the utmost care and deliberation. This 
caution is extremely necessary, for many bad habits and tricks 
are learnt in this stage of a cyclist's practical experiences, and 
many an otherwise good rider may be seen whose method of 
mounting a machine is simply ridiculous. One, for example, 
will get on to the step of his machine with any amount of light- 
ness and grace, and from that point spring into his saddle with 
a sort of jerky leap which occasionally takes him over the front 
wheel into the road, and which always strains the spring and 
frame of the machine in a violent and perfectly unnecessary 
manner. Another may be noticed whose mounting is a painful 
and arduous undertaking, necessitating many struggles and 
entailing frequent failures. If the beginner will only take the 
trouble to study carefully the right way, he may hope to avoid 
the many faults of bad mounting. 

A large machine may be as easily and safely mounted from 
the step as a little one if the rider will follow out carefully the 
following hints. Having got fairly on to the step with the left 
leg, the right should be placed over, or rather round, the right- 
hand side of the saddle, the weight being thrown a trifle to the 
left and well forward. Then, carefully avoiding any spring from 
the left foot, the rider should pull himself by means of the 
handles directly forward, at the same time thrusting his right 
knee downwards and forwards (taking care to keep the right 
foot out of the spokes). If a steady force be exerted without 
any jerky action, the rider will glide into his saddle with the 



138 CYCLING. 

utmost ease and comfort. As soon as the left foot has been 
removed from the step, the leg should be swung sharply but 
evenly forward into the same position as the right limb, and 
then — and not till then — the beginner may make a careful 
effort to catch his pedals. It is well once more to emphasise 
the vital rule : Do not hurry. A very deliberate and careful 
mount may, by steady practice, be converted into an adequately 
rapid mount — sufficient for all practical purposes — which will 
always, with care, retain the very important quality of safety. 
The jerk or spring off the step is the fatal flaw in many a rider's 
method of mounting, although only a little care is necessary to 
overcome the fault whilst the habit is young. The spring will 
be found, more especially in the case of heavy men, to severely 
damage the machine ridden, the backbone of which will often 
become twisted, unless it has been especially made extra strong 
(which of course also necessitates extra weight) to withstand 
the strain. The rider who takes the trouble, therefore, to 
cultivate an easy and scientific mount, will never be very 
nervous should occasion arise for him to mount a very light 
machine, for fear of that most dangerous of all accidents, a 
forward pitch before he is quite settled in the saddle. 

It is frequently the case in modern close-built machines 
that the handles come so low as to interfere with the forward 
passage of the right knee in the course of the mount as 
suggested above. Where this occurs it is advisable either to 
have the handles made cowhorn fashion, or else to raise the 
step about a couple of inches ; either of these expedients, the 
latter being in most cases the least expensive, will prevent the 
rider from acquiring an awkward habit of mounting, which 
might result from his having been baulked in his earliest essays 
by striking his knee against the bar of the handles. 

Mounting, riding, and dismounting having thus been ex- 
plained, and, it is hoped, brought within the capacity of the 
beginner, he may at once begin to study the real art of bicycle 
riding as distinguished from what, for want of a better term, 
may be called the mere rule of thumb of riding the wheel. 



RIDING. 



139 



The cyclist should from the first aspire to be something more 
than a mere straight-away rider ; he should seek to be a 
clever and expert master of his machine. For this reason, and 
with this object always in view, he should carefully study the 
various methods whereby he applies his power, should seek to 










'~4^: 



-fe. 



COASTING— SAFE AND EECKLESS. 



acquire an effective, comfortable, and easy style, and to develop 
by careful and constant practice that dexterity of limb which is 
so necessary to pace. The cyclist is not recommended to take 
up that branch of the sport known as ' fancy riding.' Such 
tricks of balance may well be left to the circus performer and 
professional athlete, whose business it is to risk their limbs in 



I40 CYCLING. 

these exercises and feats of skill. The average amateur cyclist 
should simply seek to acquaint himself with the qualities and 
peculiarities of the machine which he uses. The first point, 
when sufficient confidence has been acquired by a course of 
steady and continual practice, is to try and acquire an easy, 
and, above all, comfortable style ; and as this requisite is as 
indispensable to the tricyclist as to the bicyclist, the two classes 
may be taken under the one head. Readers will remark that 
an easy and graceful style is not spoken of, inasmuch as the 
latter cannot always be learnt, and the effort to gain it might 
in some cases prove an absolute drawback ; for it may not be 
possible for a cyclist to be graceful and at the same time exert 
his full powers, just as in the same way many a first-class race- 
horse has not perfect action, and many a fast running man 
has progressed in the most ugly style. In the same way many 
a good cyclist, in adopting an easy and comfortable attitude, 
suited to his individual idiosyncrasies, is often found to indulge 
in a habit which may be considered extremely awkward and 
ugly by the more hypercritical of the observers. A very sharp 
line must, however, be drawn between mere laziness as 
opposed to actual necessity, as very often the former is the 
true cause of the awkward style and clumsy action of many a 
young rider. The beginner should therefore seek to cultivate 
a style based on the very best models, and then, when his ex- 
periences are somewhat enlarged, he may modify it in one 
direction or another to suit himself, always of course taking 
care not to fall into any error whereby he may unnecessarily 
lose any of the good points which he has by careful practice 
acquired. 

For ordinary road riding, either on the bicycle or the 
tricycle, a fairly upright position should be assumed, although 
in ninety- nine cases out of a hundred the bolt upright attitude 
is as inconvenient in practical cycling as it would be in foot 
running, when the best efforts of the rider are to be made. So 
the novice will bear in mind that when hurrying or riding 
against the wind, the body may be advantageously carried 



RIDING. 



141 



rather forward, always supposing that the saddle has been 
rightly placed, and that the leg reach has been properly studied, 
of which more anon. This 
forward inclination of the body 
tends to throw most of the 
weight upon the pedals and the 
drivmg wheel, and, when not 
exaggerated, it is most suitable, 
as it presents less surface to the 
wind and at the same time 
increases the grip of the wheel 
upon the ground, thus steadying 
the steering. The position of 
the handles is a point which 
requires very careful considera- 
tion, as it very often happens 
that a mistake in this detail 
will permanently injure a rider's 
style. A very old and favourite 
theory with cyclists has been em- 
bodied in the oft-quoted phrase 
' a straight pull,' and bicycle 
handles (which are as a rule 
not adjustable) have been put 
lower and lower to afford the 
rider the full advantage, theoreti- 
cally supposed to be thus obtained, until the extreme point 
of efficiency has been passed, and the style of the rider cramped 
and seriously damaged through his having to reach after his 
handles in a noticeable and consequently awkward manner. 
This is, in this connexion, absolutely the most serious error 
that can be made, and both the bicyclist and the tricyclist will 
do better to ride with a short reach and bent arms rather than 
have the handles so low as to cause the rider to crane over 
with rounded shoulders to reach them, which very soon bows 
the back, pulls the shoulders forward, compresses the chest, 




Fig. I. 



[42 



CYCLING. 



and generally alters the comfortable pose and set of the body ; 
added to which the rider must, at any rate if he be a bicyclist, 
retain a firm and steady grip of the handles, and cannot there- 
fore, in a sudden emergency, throw his weight backwards by 
straightening his arms, as in the case of a shorter reach, and the 
danger of serious accidents, especially down hill, is thus very 
largely increased. 

In the case of the tricyclist who suffers from a too lengthy 
arm reach the difficulties are less important, although they 
equally tend to spoil the style, added to which in the case of 
a well-poised machine the rider will find himself constantly 




Fig. 2. 

slipping forward on to the peak of the saddle, and as constantly 
having to recover himself by raising himself on the pedals — an 
irksome and annoying task which can be at once obviated by 
altering the adjustment of the handles, or, if they are raised 
as high as possible (which sometimes happens vvith very long- 
legged riders in certiiin patterns of tricycles), a fresh pair of 
handles with longer standards should at once be purchased from 
the makers, as the added comfort thereby obtained will amply 
repay the rider for the expenditure. A short arm reach, there- 
fore, is very much to be preferred to an over-long one. The 
correct and most comfortable position of the arms can only be 



RIDING. T43 

satisfactorily determined by actual experience and practice in 
each individual case, as the length of the arm is variable ; but 
the best guide is to ensure a slight flexion of the arm at the 
elbow when the handles of the bicycle are held with the under- 
grip, or a slight inward bend of the wrist on the ordinary pattern 
front-steering tricycle. This bending of the arm on the bicycle 
will ensure an easy and comfortable position of the body and 
shoulders, and the rider's weight can in a moment be carried 
back by straightening the arms and throwing back the shoulders. 
These remarks, as wull be seen, apply in a great measure to 
both bicyclists and tricyclists, but only a practical experiment 
can satisfactorily determine the exact and proper position of 
the handles on either class of machine. 

How to hold the handles is a much discussed point, there 
being three recognised styles amongst bicyclists, all of which 
have been also adopted by tricyclists. They may be best de- 
scribed as the over-grip style, the under-grip style, and the 
end, or cap, grip. The over-grip is when an ordinary parallel 
horizontal handle on the end of the handle-bar is held with 
the knuckles and back of the hand upwards and the thumb 
underneath at the inside end of the handle. This is the way 
ordinarily adopted by the beginner, and is a sound and service- 
able method, very popular amongst the upright class of road 
riders. It should in most cases be used in descending a hill, 
as it affords especial facihties for applying the break, and also 
compels the rider to hold himself fairly well up, whilst it allows 
him also to sit a bit back, and to shift his shoulder weight 
to the rear in case his hind wheel becomes unsteady ; at high 
speeds, with a steady shoulder and a straightened arm, the 
machine can be held straight by pressure on the handles, 
whilst, if the rider prefers to descend the hills with his legs over 
the handle-bar, the over-grip is slill more suitable as enabling 
him to lift himself away from his machine in case of a fall over 
any obstacle which may be encountered. 

The over-grip must, however, give way to the under-grip 
for level and up-hill work, and also more especially for racing. 



144 CYCLING. 

In the under- grip the hand grasps an ordinary parallel handle 
with the knuckles and back of the hand turned downwards, the 
nails on the top and the thumb upwards on the outside of the 
handle. This method of holding the handles is generally 
identified with the * grasshopper ' fashion in racing, and — as can 
be easily proved to demonstration by any reader — it throws 
the shoulder blades well back and opens the chest completely 
for the full inspiration of the air, obviously a most important 
matter for race riders. The value and convenience of the 
under-grip style is shown by the fact that nearly every promi- 
nent rider, amateur as well as professional, adopts it. The 
under-grip offers special advantages to all bicyclists, and also 
as a natural sequence to riders who use the Humber tricycle, 
or any of the numerous imitations of that popular pattern 
which steer with a bicycle-like handle, as by settling the elbows 
tight against the sides additional steadying control can be 
exercised over the steering, whilst the position is in every 
way satisfactory and convenient, with the single exception of 
down-hillwork, where the over-grip will be found in most cases 
preferable. 

For racing men, as suggested above, the value of the under- 
grip cannot be over-estimated. Its effects are simple, yet 
efficacious. The rider's weight is thrown forward over the 
front wheel, which is thereby steadied, whilst its hold upon the 
ground is increased. Very little of the weight is carried by the 
hind wheel as long as the course is straight ; the rider can, how- 
ever, by slightly bending his back, carry his weight suddenly to 
the rear, and almost instantaneously increase the pressure upon 
the hind wheel so as to give it he necessary grip for steering 
purposes round corners or in case of any sudden emergency, 
and this rapid retrograde action is most conveniently made 
when the hands are held in the under-grip position. 

The end-grip or cap-hold is that position taken by the hand 
when it grasps the handle over the end, the rounded end of 
the handle being pressed against the palm, or when the horn 
handle is affixed in the Portsmouth fashion at right-angles across 



RIDhXG. 145 

the end of the steering bar. The back of the hand and the 
knuckles are turned outwards, the thumb coming over the 
top of the handle to secure the grip and the fingers folding 
round it from underneath. This position is a compromise 
between the over- and under-grip and finds much favour with 
some practical riders. Anyone who likes it can of course 
easily adopt it, but it has some drawbacks which will prevent 
its becoming altogether very popular. The shape of the 
handle and its fittings preclude the possibiUty of any change of 
position, and in the course of very long journeys or over very 
rough roads, when the vibration is severe, the absence of 
this possibility would in most cases be found very irksome ; and 
for this reason the fitting of these cross-handles to the small- 
wheeled 'Safeties' now in vogue is to be very strongly deprecated. 
The varying positions which the hand can take with ease in 
succession on an ordinary handle gives the latter a distinct 
advantage in most riders' opinion over the transverse or cross- 
fitted handle, and it is therefore suggested that the beginner 
should carefully limit himself to the use of the ordinary hori- 
zontal handle. The rider should accustom himself to the 
various methods of holding the handles pointed out above, and 
the bicychst should mostly confine himself to the under-grip 
for fast work, taking of course every care not to get too far 
forward ; he should also, when opportunity occurs, practise 
shifdng his hands from one position to another as occasion 
may require, at the same time steadying the machine 
with his feet, so as to be ready to meet any emergency. 
Whilst the learner is in the throes of mastering these minor 
points he will find, as suggested above, that with a little care 
with his feet he can control the course of the bicycle by their 
aid alone ; and although he should at first exercise the utmost 
caution in so experimenting, yet, as he gets more expert, he 
may devote a certain portion of his exercising time to trying to 
see how far he can go without touching the handles. He will 
soon discover that nothing so soon obliges him to grasp the 
handles afresh as the uneven thrust of the leg that he acquired 

L 



146 CYCLING. 

in the early days of his novitiate, which deflects the wheel from 
the straight course and has in actual riding to be counteracted 
by a pull on the handles, an obvious waste of muscular power. 
The constant tendency of a beginner's legwork is to thrust the 
driving-wheel of a bicycle or the wheels of a Humber type 
tricycle from one side to the other, and this is why a beginner 
always wobbles all over the road. With but a very little care- 
ful practice the beginner will acquire a varying amount of con- 
trol over the steering with his feet, and this is the first crude 
step towards that mastery of the pedal action, the art of 
ankle work, which makes all the difference between a good and 
an indifferent rider. 

To clearly appreciate the point at issue — and this is of primary 
importance— let the rider seek the nearest grindstone or coffee- 
mill, or in fact any apparatus fitted with a handle of the type 
usual in such machines. Taking hold of it the experimentalist 
should move it to its highest point and then turn it slowly 
round, standing fairly behind, and, if possible, over it, so that 
the arm may be brought when straight in the position of the 
\tg on a ' bone-shaker,' and he will find that the power he exerts 
can be roughly broken up into a series of direct forces. Sup- 
posing he is standing behind and a little above the grindstone, 
he first thrusts the handle away from him, the force being a 
forward horizontal one, roughly speaking. Then he presses it 
down, this being a downward vertical force. Then, before it 
quite reaches the lowest point, he begins to pull it towards him, 
exercising a backward horizontal force, and finally he lifts it 
over the relative dead centre, exercising an upward vertical 
force ; and then commences the forward thrusting action again. 
Having carefully studied this action with the hand, the principle 
of keeping up the application of the power all round should be 
adapted, as far as possible, to the action of the feet when 
riding a cycle. It will be necessary to have a pair of shoes (as 
described in the * Dress ' chapter) fitted to the pedals with deep 
slots, to give the feet the necessary grip and prevent their 
slipping ; and if the machine can be placed on one of the 



RIDING. 147 

* home trainers ' or otherwise raised from the ground so that 
the first ankle work may be done on a free wheel, the task will 
be all the easier. The ' Home Trainer ' patented by Mr. Mil- 
browe Smith of West Bromwich is a valuable assistance in this 
connexion, whilst the art of pedalling is of equal importance 
to every cyclist road rider and racing man, whether he ride 
bicycle or tricycle, safety or full-sized, front- or rear-steerer. 
The theory will be best understood if the rider momentarily 
supposes that he has gone a few steps backward in the Dar- 
winian line of human descent, and that he is once again 
quadrumanous or four-handed, after the style of our Simian 
ancestors, his feet being replaced by hands. Were this four- 
handed being asked to sharpen an axe on a grindstone, 
he would probably grasp the conveniently arranged double 
handles of the grindstone with his nether hands, and perform 
the pull and thrust action illustrated above, whilst with his 
normal hands he held the blade he wished to sharpen. Sup- 
posing he had much of this exercise, a Simian man would 
be likely to do exceedingly well upon a bicycle or tricycle ; 
for, steadying himself upon the saddle with his normal hands 
on the handle-bar, he would, with the others, grasp the pedals 
and not only push them down but pull them up, thrusting, 
pressing, pulling, and thrusting again in regular sequence. 
This would be practically the whole art of pedalling, and were 
man so formed as to be able to grasp as firmly with his feet 
as he does with his hands, his pace on the wheel would un- 
doubtedly be greater. But the foot grip is wanting, and the 
next best plan must be looked for. This is supplied by a 
careful and intelligent cultivation of the use of the ankle-joint, 
which, by proper practice and constant exercise can be brought 
into a sufficiently skilful state to effect with consummate ease 
nearly all the various actions which a quadrumanous cyclist 
might perform ; the main idea, as will have been gathered 
from the foregoing, being to exert throughout almost the whole 
revolution of the pedal a force or forces which shall tend to 
propel the machine, whilst ankle work, even in its weakest and 



148 CYCLING. 

least developed stage, prevents the rider from holding the pedal 
down when the lowest point is reached, a trick which very often 
has much to do with the notable slowness of a promising- looking 
rider. It is well therefore for the learner, as soon as he has 
mastered the rudiments of the art of riding, to begin to practise, 
however incompletely, the art of ankle w^ork, as he will thereby 
modify and lighten his action and obtain a full return for all the 
exertions he may make. 

It is a necessity in artistic ankle w^ork that both legs should 
work equally, and the rider who begins to cultivate ankle-pedal- 
ing is advised to commence the education of his left foot first. 
It is usually found that the left leg takes longer to acquire its 
full share of skill in this direction than the right. Sitting upon 
the machine placed as suggested upon some sort of stand so 
that the driving wheel or wheels run free, or upon a 'home 
trainer,' the rider should put the left foot upon the pedal, 
being careful to see that the pedal bars are fitted into the slots 
in the soles of the shoe. Then let the pedal drop to its low^est 
point, and from the stationary position start the wheel — using 
the left foot alone— by grasping dow^nwards wath the toes, 
raising the heel and bending the foot downwards from the 
ankle, and (to use the only expressive -svord available) ' clawing ' 
the pedal backwards and upwards. This should be done fairly 
from a dead stop half a dozen times, and then the break may 
be very liglitly applied, and the same performance repeated. 
This course will initiate the beginner into the nature of the 
precise action required, and it must be carefully practised for 
a time both on the home trainer (if available), and also as far 
as the action is concerned in active riding on the road, until 
the knack or trick is fully mastered. Then, with a certain 
amount of break check on the trainer, or in the actual work 
out of doors, the rider should carefully carry out the following 
exercises, keeping them up as long as possible despite aches and 
pains (except cramp, which necessitates an instant dismount 
and a sharp friction of the muscles affected), so as to educate 
the joints and muscles up to the work required. 



RIDJXG. 



149 



The appended diagram, fig. 3, although at first sight it 
savours of EucHd, is not by any means as learned as it looks. 
It is only intended to illustrate clearly the course of a rotating 
crank and pedal attached to a machine travelling in the direction 
GC as marked by the arrow. The pedal drawn at a will describe 
around the axle centre at j a circle as shown. Practically the 
reader is only concerned with the circumference of this circle, 
the diameter of which is equal to twice the crank-throw, as 
it is round the circumference that the foot placed on the pedal 
travels, and with it therefore it will be convenient to deal to 




further simplify the description. There are shown in the 
diagram eight equidistant radii, as a j, b j, and so on, which may 
each in turn be taken to represent the crank. These radii 
divide the circle into eight segments, numbered in the order in 
which the pedal will pass through them in a complete circuit. 
Thus A to B, I — B to c, 2 — c to D, 3 — and so on. It is assumed 
for the purposes of illustration that the rider is seated vertically 
over the point k, some few inches behind the centre of the 
driving wheel (taking an ordinary bicycle as the most convenient 
illustration, though these remarks apply equally to other cycles). 



I50 CYCLING. 

Seated then vertically above k, suppose it assumed that the 
rider only exerts a downward pressure by simply straightening 
his leg in the direction a e, it is obvious that he cannot effect 
very much in the way of propulsion whilst his foot is passing 
through segment i, from a to b. From b through c to d, tra- 
versing segments 2 and 3, the force would be at its maximum 
of efficiency, after which whilst traversing section 4 from d to e 
its value as a propulsive powder w^ould rapidly decrease until it 
reached e, where if the force acting in the direction ae were 
kept up, i.e. the pressure downward on the pedal maintained, 
it would actually retard and stop the machine — a source of fre- 
quent falls to the novice. Supposing, however, that the down- 
ward force of the leg were stopped at e, and the foot simply 
lifted with the pedal via f, g, and h to a, the downward thrust 
would again become effective. This raising or lifting of the foot 
with the rising pedal from e to a, by a distinct and intentional 
muscular effort, is one of the earliest signs that the student has 
at length passed out of his novitiate. It is, however, obvious 
that a rider merely moving his feet straight up and down is 
effective only from a to e, and only really effective, to any 
material extent, from b to d, or through just one-fourth of the 
entire revolution of the pedal, an obvious loss of power if of 
nothing else. Supposing, for example, a rider were so placed 
as to be well behind the crank centre, say for argument's sake 
on a level with the line cg produced backwards, if he were 
to attempt to propel the machine by straight tnrusts, as in the 
foregoing example, then it will be clearly seen that he becomes 
effective through the semicircle G h a b c, having the maximum 
power from h to b, whilst he w^ould be also quite ineffective 
during the return half of the stroke from c through d e and f 
to G. What an advantage it would be if the rider, instead of 
driving but half a revolution of the crank, and that not effec- 
tively, could by a little practice drive throughout nearly three- 
quarters of the entire revolution of the crank ? This tremendous 
increase of power can be secured by cultivating the proper use 
of the ankle-joint, and is in short the result of a careful mastery 



RIDIXG. 



151 



of the art of ankle work. By the aid of a few simple diagrams 
it will be easy to explain the whole mystery, and although a 
mere perusal of the theory of the art will not teach it practi- 
cally, yet if the learner will carefully carry out the instructions 
appended there is little doubt that he will soon understand 
the principle of the thing, and it then becomes simply a 
question of sufficient practice to make him an adept at this 
most valuable accomplishment, whatever may be the class of 
cycle the learner uses, always supposing that it has a rotary 
action, or something very closely akin to it. Seated either on 




Fig. 4. 

a bicycle slung so that the wheel may revolve, or upon a home- 
trainer, the beginner should raise the pedal to its highest point, 
and then, steadying the wheel with the break, place his foot 
upon the pedal, carefully fitting the slots in his shoes into their 
places, and seeing in any case that the foot is straight. Then, 
using the thigh muscle for the most part, let him thrust the foot 
(and pedal) forward in a horizontal direction, in fact a sort of 
sharp forward kick, having the heel dropped as low as possible, 
the toes well up, and the foot firmly set on the pedal, which 
will be at an angle as shown in fig. 4. This should be practised 
carefully with the break slightly on, and for this purpose, though 



15^ 



CYCLhWG. 



a bicycle can be used, a tricycle will be found much handier, if 
no home-trainer of the West Bromwich pattern is available, as 
the break can be put slightly on by means of a piece of string 
or a strap to the lever, tied to any convenient point, and the 
novice can spend a few minutes daily practising this exercise ; 
in carrying out which programme the left foot should at first 
be used more than the right. As soon as the usual awkwardness 
of the ankle-joint has been worked off this action will be found 
remarkably effective in starting the machine, as the force is 
applied in a direction approximating to the line taken by the 





Fig. 5. 



Fig. 6 



pedal through segment i, fig. 3; after a time the ankle muscles, 
and those of the calf, will become stronger, and a sharp straighten- 
ing of the ankle, as the pedal passes from a to c through seg- 
ments I and 2, will materially aid the propulsion of the machine. 
This straightening of the ankle will be continued until at c the 
foot is brought into a position at right angles to the leg (fig. 5), 
the muscular effort of which should now have by equal 
gradations become directly downwards. The pedal will now 
assume a horizontal position, and the power of the leg with 
the weight of the body and the pull of the arms will all be 



RIDING. 153 

exerted to force it downwards — at this point the ciank throw 
is in the most effective position and the hardest work is 
put in. Passing c, the pedal begins to follow a backward 
course to D and e, and here the ankle action becomes of 
the greatest value. The toe is gradually dropped, and the 
heel raised as the pedal gets nearer and nearer to the 
lowest point e, when the foot will have assumed a position 
shown with some exaggeration in fig. 6, the action having at 
length reached the backward or ' clawing ' stage. To secure 
the full advantage of ankle work this ' clawing^ action must be 
very carefully practised ; the toes should be sharply pressed 
upon the sole of the shoe as if they were trying to grasp some- 
thing, whilst the ankle should be straightened as much as 
possible, the foot being almost in a line with the leg, the calf 
muscles being strongly retracted, and the backward pull (which 
of course requires fitted shoes) can be made practically effective 
through segment 5, and also of service well into segment 6. 
The ineffective portion, which exists on either side of the point 
G, is soon reduced to a very small part of the circle, for as 
soon as the point G has been passed, the heel should be sharply 
dropped, and an upward and forward kick or thrust as described 
in the directions for the first position, will lift the pedal forwards 
and upwards to a, when of course the whole series of actions 
will be repeated. 

No rider can pedal properly in a w^eek, only a very few are 
passably proficient in a month, whilst a master of the art takes 
years to develop, and never claims to be perfect, for not one 
man in a thousand can be found with equal power and equal 
action ; so the beginner will see at once that he has plenty of 
scope for work and also for improvement. Constant, careful, 
and intelligent practice is not only absolutely necessary, but 
is the only way in which the thing can be fully mastered. At 
first a good deal of stiffness and some pain will be caused, 
especially in the knees, calves, and front of the shins, whilst the 
lower abdominal muscles are occasionally painful in common 
with those of the upper thigh ; this is sometimes caused by 



154 CYCLING. 

over-work, or by attempting to practise up-hill. Elliman's 
Embrocation can be recommended as a complete specific m 
such cases, but if the stiffness is very bad, warm fomentations 
or a warm bath may be taken, the Embrocation being after- 
wards carefully applied, whilst after each spell of work the 
rider or his attendant should carefully rub the legs for ten 
minutes or so with the bare hand, which will assist the circula- 
tion of the blood through the muscular tissues, and enable them 
the more rapidly to accommodate themselves to the novel task 
imposed upon them. As pointed out above, these exercises 
may be carried out upon a bicycle, tricycle, or home-trainer. 
The latter is perhaps the best for the beginner, although he has 
much to re-learn when he again gets on his machine. Of all 
other types, if a choice is available, a Humber pattern tricycle 
in which the work is put almost vertically under the rider, 
will perhaps be found most convenient and serviceable for the 
purpose, and it can be slung by two ropes under the handles 
to some adjacent beam ; as soon as sufficient proficiency 
has been attained the same machine can be used on the road 
in actual practice, a desideratum which should not be lost 
sight of. As suggested above, the left foot should first be 
carefully schooled (except, perhaps, in the case of those persons 
who are left-footed as well as left-handed), then the right, 
which latter should be put through the same exercises, though 
for a time less frequently than the left. As soon as some 
precision of action has been acquired, the learner should at- 
tempt a little slow and painstaking road riding, on a level 
road, not down hill or before the wind (as being likely to cause 
inadvisable rapidity), or up stiff hills or against heavy wind, 
because this will unduly tire the limbs and muscles. The right 
foot being taken off the pedal and put on the foot-rest, or 
swung backwards, taking care, of course, not to get it in the 
spokes, the left should be carefully exercised alone, the machine 
being driven as straight as possible at a moderate pace. This 
strengthens and develops the muscles, and at the same time 
affords the rider or his attendant a practical opportunity of 



RIDING. 155 

testing the actual amount of force exercised by the leg, a 
material point, as ankle action without a little power to back 
it is practically useless, albeit a very small amount of power can 
be made to go a very long way by the possessor of a good and 
well-studied ankle action. In fact, to this one accomplishment, 
possessed in a very high degree of efficiency, may without 
doubt be ascribed the successes on the path and the road of 
riders who, regarded merely from the muscular power stand- 
point, are by no means pre-eminent as athletes. As soon as 
the left limb has been fairly started, and has developed some 
little proficiency in the steady and even propulsion of the 
machine, that more promising pupil, the right leg, may be 
exercised in the same way ; but care should always be taken, for 
months after the commencement of the work, not to forget the 
left leg, or to throw all the labour — as so many riders uncon- 
sciously do — upon the right, as an uneven ankle action is 
possibly worse than no ankle action at all, seeing that the 
machine is always being driven to one side in the case of 
bicycles and Humber pattern tricycles, necessitating of course 
extra exertions on the part of the rider to keep it in a straight 
course, so that power is lost all round, and literally thrown away, 
for no possible good of any kind is derived from it. 

The rider who follows out closely the above instructions 
will soon begin to appreciate the value of the art which he is 
acquiring, but he will do well to curb his impatience, and to 
adhere to his plan of daily practice at a slow pace for a con- 
siderable time. It is very bad policy to hurry, at any rate for 
some time after the rudiments of ankle action have been fully 
mastered, for if the rider gets up a high rate of speed he is 
almost certain to fall into some faults which will cause him to 
slur over some material portion of the stroke ; it is therefore 
necessary that a rider who desires to gain a thoroughly irre- 
proachable ankle action should devote daily a certain specified 
time to practising it at a slow pace, which may gradually be 
increased as proficiency is acquired, until at the highest speed 
of the racing path the all round ankle action of the accomplished 



156 CYCLING. 

rider is seen in its highest development. Whilst learning, say 
for the first couple of months, an exaggerated action is recom- 
mended, the heel dropped as low as possible, the toes alter- 
nately being pointed as high up and as low down as the ankle- 
joint will permit, and the forward thrust and claw back carried 
out as far as possible. These actions, thus carried to the extreme, 
effect the same purpose as the skipping or jumping of the sprint 
runner ; they stretch all the muscles and increase the freedom 
of motion in the joints, and thus assist materially in the 
development and freedom of the action ; but when at length it 
has been full mastered, and a lengthy practical experience has 
taught the rider that even at the highest speeds he does not 
slur or shirk the work, it is well to modify the action of the 
ankle as far as is compatible with the full use of the joint. 
The true art is to conceal art, and this modification properly 
learnt in no way impairs the effectiveness of the ankle action ; 
in fact, it really increases its value by adding to its rapidity all 
round, and thus allows more scope for the use of the powerful 
muscles of the calf and thigh, whilst the easy smart rhythmic 
action of the ankle keeps the work alive, to use an expressive 
if somewhat technical metaphor. The real point is that the 
pull and thrust action, going on simultaneously with both feet, 
practically does away with the dead centre, and keeps the 
wheel running between the full throw strokes, a point which 
will be fully appreciated by all practical cyclists, and may be 
likened to that portion of the sculler's art which enables him to 
keep his boat running between the strokes. The rider must 
bear in mind throughout all his work that the downward 
thrust is of course his most valuable point, and that it should 
be fully taken advantage of, and not lost sight of in the course 
of the all-round action ; but at the same time the quick clawing 
recovery prevents any hang of the machine at the dead point, 
and therefore materially aids propulsion. Nor is it right to 
suppose, as some riders have done, that ankle work is only of 
service on the racing path, and of no value elsewhere ; as a 
matter of fact the very greatest value is to be attached to the 



RIDING. 157 

art on the road. All our best road riders excel in a sound 
and straight ankle action. Mr. Harry Osborn, for example, 
is a splendid road rider, and especially good at hills, and his 
excellence is due to a very great extent to a natural ankle 
action, backed by plenty of physical power. Mr. Charles E. 
Liles is another skilful exponent of the advantages of true 
ankle action, inasmuch as he always uses rubber pedals when 
racing, yet he seldom or never slips his pedal, even in the 
excitement of the closest of finishes, owing solely to the fact that 
his ankle play always keeps his foot in the safest of positions, 
behind the pedal in the direction of the force applied. John 
Keen, the well-known professional ex-champion, is pre- 
eminently an ankle worker, and he shines now, as he always 
has done, on the road and up hill ; indeed, all the modern 
racing men, amateur and professional, have cultivated this 
style with a greater or less degree of success. The road rider 
should therefore study and practise the art with as much care 
and assiduity as the racing man, as he w^ill always find it of the 
very greatest service in all branches of active cycling. 

The accurate arrangement of the reach of the machine is 
an important point, and has a notable effect upon the success 
or otherwise of the rider. The question, as far as it deals with 
racing machines, will be found fully treated in the chapter 
devoted to this branch of the subject. The choice and ar- 
rangements of a roadster will, however, interest a much larger 
section of readers, and is, therefore, described at greater length 
here. It is an absolute necessity that the machine for use 
on the road should be well under control so as to ensure the 
complete safety of the rider, and this desideratum can only be 
secured by having the roadster machine as nearly as possible 
an exact fit. Though in this case the bicycle only is spoken of, 
the popular Humber type in tricycles may be considered under 
the same head ; most other tricycles are made adjustable as 
regards the saddle, and thus the difficulties to which w^e are 
alluding do not of necessity arise. 

Too long a reach on a bicycle is dangerous, as the rider 



158 CYCLING. 

loses his pedals at the bottom of the stroke, and is thus 
unable to steady the machine with his feet at high speeds, 
whilst too short a reach, though infinitely preferable to the 
other extreme, is also likely to cause trouble, as the cramped 
position prevents the free action of the limbs, and as high- 
speed pedalling is thereby rendered very difficult, the result 
is unsteadiness, together with bad and irregular steering. To 
meet these objections the bicyclist, who has passed through 
the novice stage, must make an effort to secure a machine 
which exactly suits him, and although he may possibly get 
suited by chance, it is very much better to try a few machines 
as occasion serves, and also to get the assistance of a practical 
friend, before he finally decides on buying any one mount. 
It is characteristic of the novice that he wants to ride a 
high wheel, but he will do well to curb this aspiration. 
Another idea which often takes this class of aspirant is that 
because an old and experienced cyclist of five feet nine inches 
rides a certain height of wheel, the novice of the same height 
can do the same. Putting aside the possibility of the older 
rider being abnormally long in the leg, there remains the 
undoubted fact that the effective length of a cyclist's leg is, 
up to a certain point, increased by practice. This is to be 
accounted for by the stretching and great freedom of the 
muscles ; and the beginner will do well to remember this. The 
measurement to decide the right size of wheel which a novice 
should adopt must be taken down the inside of the leg, from 
the fork to the ball of the foot. The most convenient method 
of measuring is for the rider to put the inside of the front 
sole of his boot either on the end of the tape or on a piece of 
wood, over which the tape ring may be slipped ; the tape 
should then be drawn tightly over the first finger of the right 
hand and pulled well up to the fork, along the inside seam of 
the trousers. This will be the theoretical reach of the leg. 
For example, say it is 35 inches. From this certain deductions 
must be made, say 5^ inches for crank throw, inasmuch as the 
pedal drops that much below the centre of the wheel at each 



RIDING. 



159 



revolution, whilst another 2\ inches must be deducted to allow 
for the set of the saddle above the backbone and the wheel. 
These deductions will give the rider 27 inches as his effective 
reach or radius, and this being doubled indicates approximately 
the correct size of his wheel, viz. about 54 inches. A rather 
smaller size may suit one rider, a slightly larger one another ; 
but the above measurements, if carefully carried out, will give 
very fair and convenient results, at any rate for the guidance 




THE KEAR-DRIVING SAFETY BICYCLE. 
' Jog on, jog on the footpath way.' — Wmter's Tale, Act iv, Sc. iii. 

of the beginner. After a time the effective reach of the rider 
becomes longer ; the muscles act more freely, the Hmbs 
are used wuth greater boldness, and then a compensating 
increase in the size of the wheel used may be found advan- 
tageous, or the spring may be altered, or a more open Arab 
cradle spring adopted, and the reach of the original machine 
thereby lengthened. Those riders who do not intend to 
tempt fortune upon the racing path will do well to content 



i6o CYCLING. 

themselves with a machine which has an easy reach, although, 
as pointed out above, care must be taken not to adopt so 
small a mount as to cramp the action of the limbs. For 
winter riding or for use in very rough or hilly country, a 
machine with a relatively smaller driving wheel is recom- 
mended, and should the user desire not to get out of his stride, 
he can easily have the winter machine built with the same 
reach, &c., as his summer mount ; others, again, who desire to 
use the same machines, but who find the work rather laborious 
in winter, will find very great benefit from having the cranks so 
arranged as to allow of adjustment from five to six inches — 
tricycle cranks, on central geared machines, have mostly this 
arrangement. Riders who have not practically tested the 
matter can hardly appreciate the power, ease, and comfort 
obtainable during the worst and most inclement season by the 
use of the longer crank throw. The new class of Safety 
bicycles just introduced afford added facihties to the winter 
rider, as he can have his summer mount geared down for 
winter use, and a machine which has been used all the summer 
geared up to 58 inches will be found a model winter roadster 
when geared down to 50 or 52 inches during the inclement 
season. 

Tricyclists are of course much better circumstanced as re- 
gards both winter riding and the arrangement of the leg reach. 
Many machines of all types have adjustable seats, whilst even 
the Humber tricycle, with its unadjustable saddle, can be 
adjusted to a limited extent by shortening or lengthening the 
chain and correspondingly shifting the lower bracket. As regards 
winter work, the practical success of the two-speed gears has 
placed almost unlimited powers at the service of tricyclists, as 
they give a lower power for use when, by stress of weather or 
badness of the roads, it is required. As pointed out above, 
adjustment is easily obtained on most tricycles, and the rider 
should not shirk the trouble of frequent alteration and readjust- 
ment until he has found out, by practical experience, exacdy 
the reach which suits him. The careful tricyclist, having dis- 



RIDING. i6i 

covered this exact adjustment, will cut with a small file a very 
slight nick on the standard to mark the correct point, so that 
should the bolt by any chance slip, or the standard be altered 
to suit a taller or shorter friend at any time, he will at once be 
able to replace it at the most effective position for his own use — 
a hint, the value of which will be found to lie ' in the application 
thereof,' like the aphorisms of the great Jack Bunsby. Humber 
type tricycles are best built to measure in the same manner as 
bicycles, as the efforts made to secure adjustabiUty by means of 
standards or kindred arrangements passing through the back- 
bone have not on the whole proved conspicuously successful. 
The objection lies in the enormous leverage which the vertical 
plunger or standard has over the backbone and hind wheel, the 
weight of the rider being thus in a position to produce tre- 
mendous strains, which are obviously increased for every inch 
the saddle is raised ; and as this twisting or wringing of the 
backbone is communicated directly to the hind wheel, the steadi- 
ness of the machine, especially at high speed, is much impaired. 
Purchasers, therefore, of any of the Humber type machines will 
do well to have the spring put close to the backbone, as added 
steadiness is thereby secured. The proper adjustment and 
placing of the saddle is another very important point in the 
curriculum of the cycling novice, as on this one thing depends 
to a very great extent the personal comfort of the rider ; and 
there is no one item in the whole arrangement of the fittings 
and accessories of any class of machines on which so great a 
diversity of opinion is to be found. In fact, the rider, whatever 
his mount may be, must suit himself ; but practical experience 
teaches that, by the exercise of a little judgment, he can find 
exactly what he wants, and at the same time so fashion his seat 
that it may assist him in forming a good style of riding. 

The main point to be studied is to place the saddle as 
nearly as possible in a horizontal position. The cyclist, on the 
path as well as on the road, should sit upon his saddle, and 
not cling to it by means of the handle, or slide off it because 
of its awkward position, as so many riders may be noticed 



1 62 CYCLING, 

doing every few yards. A theory which once found a great 
many practical supporters was that if the saddle was raised 
high up behind and tipped well forward the rider was thrown 
on to his pedals continuously, and was thus kept at, or on, his 
work. Nothing could, in truth, be more fallacious, as the 
awkward pitch of the saddle threw almost all the bodily weight 
upon the wrists and thus tired them, and at the same time 
defeated the very object it was supposed to attain, whilst back 
action and ankle work became practically impossible ; and this 
error has been recently revived in the safety bicycle of the 
rear- driving type. At the same time, many racing men have 
their saddles very sharply curved up at the back, but on 
inspection it will be found that the front part of the saddle 
affords ample space for sitting on, the curved-up back being 
simply a sort of steadier for cutting round the sharp corners 
of a cinder path. If the saddle is bodily pitched forward 
it entails endless annoyance, as the rider is himself thrown 
forward, and he has to lean very much to the front to carry his 
weight on the saddle with any approach to comfort, whilst the 
temptation to get off the saddle and on to the handles is 
very great, but if adopted, cramped and strained wrists, 
awkward and constrained leg action, and last, but by no 
means least, erratic steering owing to insufficient weight on 
the hind wheel, must inevitably follow. Experienced riders 
are nearly all able to recall instances in which a saddle so 
pitched was used by a novice, and they will recognise as 
characteristic the frequent assertion of the user that he could 
surmount hills better with his saddle in that position than 
when it was placed in any other. To the expert the reason 
was obvious. For going up a hill the pitched saddle becomes 
nearly, if not quite, horizontal, and the rider for once in a 
way sits at ease and can use all his muscular power for the 
propulsion of the machine. The opposite trouble, when the 
saddle is raised unnecessarily high in front, is possibly quite as 
annoying and objectionable. It was a very favourite arrange- 
ment on the old class of single-driving rear-steering tricycles, 



RIDING. 163 

the object doubtless being to throw the rider's weight well 
back on to the steering wheel, and to prevent his falling out of 
the open front when the single-driving arrangement allowed 
the machine to swerve round on greasy roads. A high peak 
is exceedingly awkward for the rider, likely to prove very 
injurious, and to bring about accidents similar to that which 
caused the death of William the Conqueror. The victim 
of this error in the arrangement of the saddle has to cling 
with great tenacity to his handles to overcome the constant 
tendency to slide off his work and over the back of the saddle, 
whilst every bump on a rough road shoots him backwards, 
causes him to lose his pedals, and, in fact, generally prevents 
him from doing the full amount of work he is capable of. All 
these errors clearly point to one conclusion, viz., the pan- 
acea suggested above, a horizontal saddle. Elsewhere — in the 
chapter devoted to this subject— the various makes of saddles 
are carefully discussed, but no practical arrangement has as 
yet been brought forward to enable the user to adjust the 
saddle in the way indicated, and it therefore becomes neces- 
sary for every cyclist to carefully look after the saddle for 
himself^ The first point is to note if the spring is fairly hori- 
zontal, and if it is not its fall should be observed so that it 
may be corrected. The saddle, in most cases, has an iron base 
plate, and the general pattern has a tip forward, so that when 
the base plate is placed flat upon a horizontal bar, the peak is 
a little lower than the back ; this very nearly compensates for 
the slight backward pitch of nearly all the springs fitted to 
bicycles, and also to Arab cradle springs which are clamped 
round the backbone. The saddle being placed upon the 
spring and screwed up just tight, the user should place the 
machine upon a level floor and see if the saddle is horizontal. 
Should it require any adjustment it can be effected in several 
ways ; if much is necessary, say a quarter or half an inch, the 
best plan is the wooden wedge, which should be cut out of some 
hard wood, such as oak, and finished rather thicker than will 

^ lianington's new lilt angle red purports to fulfil this requirement. 



1 64 CYCLING. 

be actually necessary to allow for slight alterations. The 
wedge is shown in fig. 7, the two notches in either side being 
for the saddle screws to pass through, as the block cannot 
then slip out. It is shown in section at fig. 8, and the thick 
end can be put either in front or at the back, as may be re- 
quired to accomplish the adjustment. A rough file may be 
used to reduce the thickness so as to secure a very accurate 
arrangement, and the alterations should be carefully made 
until on a practical trial the user is satisfied with the position 
of the saddle. A small piece of emery paper, brown paper, 
or leather may be glued or tacked or sewn over the block, 
and will afford a good grip on the spring. If, however, only 
a very slight amount of adjustment is necessary, a strip of stout 
brown paper may be cut a trifle wider than the space between 
the saddle screws, and this being carefully folded, two nicks 



[ZD 



1 



Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. 

can be cut out of it with an ordinary small gouge, for the 
same purpose as the nicks cut in the wood block, and being 
then laid flat on the spring can be thickened at one end or 
the other by the addition of further pieces, as shown rather 
exaggeratedly in fig. 9. Seeing that the rider's ease and com- 
fort absolutely depend upon the suitability of his saddle 
and its proper adjustment upon the machine, too much time 
can scarcely be spent upon the alterations necessary to secure 
complete satisfaction. It is needless to say, as in fact any 
reader will have gathered, that the above remarks apply 
equally to bicyclists and tricyclists. If a rider of either class 
of machine discovers on consideration that he has fallen into 
bad habits and traces some hitherto unaccounted-for cramps 
and pains to the adoption of an awkwardly arranged saddle, 
he will do well to proceed at once carefully to remedy the 
defects; and here, again, a practical and well-tested method 



RIDING. ' 165 

whereby the necessary alterations can be best effected will 
doubtless be of service to many who have long passed out 
of the novice stage. Suppose, for the sake of example, that a 
rider has been using a saddle very much raised up behind, so 
much so that his bodily weight has for the most part been 
carried on his hands and wrists. The fact that this is so, and 
that it is wrong, possibly dawns upon the rider after an un- 
usually lengthy spin, owing to the circumstance that those 
limbs have become exceedingly stiff and painful. The remedy 
is both simple and rapid. The pitched forward position must 
be done away with, and yet the rider must not feel by com- 
parison as if his saddle was too much raised in front. 

The shortest way to rectify the error is as follows. Take off 
the saddle, and by means of a wooden block, paper packing or 
other material, raise the peak as high as the back was previously, 
in fact, go quite to the other extreme ; then, after carefully 
seeing that it is safely fixed and not likely to slip, the rider 
should mount and use it thus for an hour or more, not heeding 
the discomfort of the position, which will be considerable. 
Should it be possible to ride it on several occasions thus for a 
short time, say every day for a week, the rider will get almost re- 
conciled to the new style. Then, and not till then, the saddle 
may be again removed, and most carefully adjusted as recom- 
mended above in a horizontal position. The result of this 
partial return, as of course it practically is, to its original position, 
will be that the rider feels quite at home in the saddle as com- 
pared with the discomforts he endured during the rides under- 
taken with the saddle in what may be termed the 'second 
position.' Should the rider's original fault have been in the other 
direction, the reverse arrangement should be carried out exactly 
on the same lines, the only caution necessary being to take great 
care not to slip the pedals when the forward pitched saddle is 
being used. Mounting will also require a litde extra caution 
during the period of the second stage. One of the most danger- 
ous accidents which can happen either to the expert rider or to 
the beginner is that caused by the slipping of the saddle, an 



1 66 CYCLING. 

accident more likely to prove dangerous on the ordinary flat 
springs than on the Arab cradle spring (which, having a turned- 
up end, does not allow the saddle to slip far, supposing, of 
course, that the saddle-nuts hold). Every cyclist, therefore, 
should take care that his saddle is properly fixed, whether it 
be a bicycle or a tricycle. This very important point can be 
ensured in many ways, although in most cases it is sufficient to 
screw up the nuts under the saddle as tight as possible. Some 
of the cycling saddlers do not see that their iron-workers cut 
the threads far enough up the screw to admit of a proper grip 
being obtained, an inexcusable error ; and this being so, each 
cyclist should look and see if the thread of the screw goes 
be3'0nd the nut when he has screwed it up, as if it does not, 
and he tries to force it further on, the result will be that the 
worm will strip, and the nut slip, possibly when the rider is 
flying dovm hill or at some other equally dangerous period. 
Should a cyclist be compelled to use such a saddle, two thick 
pieces of sole leather, one on the spring under the saddle and 
another under the spring between it and the saddle cross-bar, 
will secure the necessary grip — a result which will be more 
satisfactorily attained if the leather is soaked in water for a 
few hours before being used. A rider who desires to make 
absolutely sure of the firmness of his saddle can do so by using 
the strips of brown paper advised above, or, if he desires to make 
a more than usually trustworthy and permanent job of it, the 
following plan can be confidently recommended from practical 
experience. Out of the long strip of brown paper, before 
alluded to, cut several pieces three inches in length — three or 
four will probably be enough— also cut out four similar pieces 
of stout emery paper or cloth ; lay them all together, and with 
the gouge cut out the necessary notches on either side ; before 
taking off the saddle, mark with a file or other convenient tool 
on either side of each saddle screw on the edge of the spring. 
Then remove the saddle and proceed as follows. Paint a 
couple of inches (one on each side of the screw marks) with 
iBrunswick Black, Ardcll's Enamel, or some similar medium, 



RIDING. 167 

and put one piece of the emery cloth, 'business-side' down, 
upon the wet paint ; put a coat of paint as thinly as possible 
upon the uppermost (plain) side of the emery cloth, and lay 
a second piece of the emery cloth with the rough side upper- 
most upon it. Then proceed in the same way with three or 
four layers of brown paper, and finish off with two more pieces 
of the emery cloth, their plain sides being put together, so that 
the rough sides bite both the saddle and the brown paper 
packing. Put the saddle very carefully in its place, having 
just dabbed a brushful of paint between the screws on the iron 
plate ; see that it is exactly straight, put another dab of paint on 
the under side of the spring where the cross-bar will come, and 
then screw up the nuts very carefully and very evenly, just one 
turn each as soon as they bite, so as not to pull the saddle to 
one side or the other. Keep running the eye over it from 
behind, and getting it in a line with the handle-bar to see that 
it is true, and thus go on with great care until it is quite tight. 
When it has been tested and found taut, true, and comfortable, 
a final touch may be given to the nuts with a big screw hammer; 
and if they and the screws, together wath the cross-bar, are 
finally finished off with black paint or enamel, the job will look 
neat and business-like, and the saddle may be relied on never 
to shift or shp whatever strains it may have to endure. The 
saddle on bicycles and Humber pattern tricycles should never 
be put close up to the head, as, although this secures for the 
rider more vertical action, it also diminishes very materially 
his safety, by bringing him much nearer the vertical line from 
the centre of the driving wheel and thus taking the weight off 
the hind wheel, making it more liable to fly up, and also very 
unsteady at high rates of speed. 

The proper position is some four or five inches back on bi- 
cycles built without any rake on the front forks, and a little bit 
farther back still on Humber pattern tricycles, as in their case 
the work (i.e. the pedal axle) is carried some way back from the 
wheel centres, and the rider can secure additional safety by 
taking advantage of the fact. For very nervous riders it is a 



i68 



CYCLING. 



good plan to have the roadster bicycle built with a good rake 
on the front fork, as this increases the steadiness and safety of 
the machine. This plan has been exaggerated with marked 
success in the ' Xtraordinary ' bicycle made by Singer & Co., 
which is without doubt one of the safest of the old class of 
machines. 

In the case of all springs, great care should be taken to 
keep the nuts fastening the pins well screwed up, as any 




THE XTRAORDINARY BICYCLE. 



side shake or looseness in the spring attachments will very 
soon cause irremediable damage if not at once taken up, 
and a loose spring will sometimes injure an incautious novice's 
style very materially, especially if, as is frequently the case, 
he is riding a relatively small machine, in which for con- 
venience sake the spring has been raised some considerable 
height above the backbone. The looseness of the attach- 
ments is magnified by the height of the spring above them, 



RIDING. 169 

and the rider rolls slightly from side to side; this unstcadies 
his steering and gets him into the bad habit of slightly swaying 
from side to side to maintain his balance, which of course pre- 
vents him from using his legs or ankles truly, and soon leads 
to awkward and clumsy action. It is the fact that the wear is 
practically nil as far as the attachments are concerned that so 
strongly recommends to all practical riders that very best of 
cycling inventions the Arab cradle spring. Its dual construction 
allows of a limited amount of vertical play, and a gentle and 
equal oscillation which tends to ease the rider without un- 
steadying him ; the action being in marked contrast to the 
jerky and uncomfortable movements of an ordinary spring with 
worn fastenings. Should the beginner not be in possession of 
a cradle spring, the precautions recommended above must be 
most carefully followed out to ensure a steady course and accu- 
rate steering. A careful adjustment of the head or centres of 
bicycles and tricycles is also an absolute necessity, as a loose 
head will inevitably cause the steering to become very unsteady 
and erratic down-hill or at high speed, whilst in the case of a 
bicycle the backbone will be wTung, and the wheels will not 
' track ' or follow accurately one after the other. Moreover, the 
machine itself is sure to be very seriously injured if the care- 
lessness of its OAvner allows the mischief to continue for any 
length of time ; for the loose head plays backwards and forwards 
in the top and bottom sockets or centres, which are thus very 
soon cut oval-shaped instead of remaining accurately circular, 
with the obviously inevitable result that they can never be sub- 
sequently satisfactorily adjusted owing to this irregular wear. 
By far the larger number of heads now fitted are of the 'Stanley' 
pattern, consisting of a backbone head carrying two coned 
ends, one upwards and one downwards. These coned ends fit 
into two coned sockets, one a fixture in the fork head, the 
other cut in the end of the adjusting screw fitted into the top 
of the head; and the adjustment is effected by screwing the top 
cone down upon the upward cone of the backbone head. Too 
much pressure at this point rna)- possibly prove a serious danger 



170 CYCLING. 

to the head itself, as it will sometimes cause it to break off at 
the base of the opening just above the shoulder, so the rider 
will do well to take especial care to keep this vital part of his 
machine very carefully adjusted. To effect this satisfactorily 
the lock nut, which fixes the top or adjusting screw, must be 
loosened, and the latter screwed down upon the top of the 
backbone head until the backbone moves stifdy in the head ; 
the adjustment may then be unscrewed half a turn at a time 
until the backbone moves quite freely ; then, when this point 
has been reached, two tests may be applied : (i) the backbone 
may be lifted up and down, the rider standing a little above 
the machine, on a chair for example, and if it appears to move 
up and down in the head it requires further tightening ; or (2) 
the backbone being held firmly with the right hand, the left 

thumb may be laid across the 
opening of the head so that 
it touches both the sides of 
the slit, and also the backbone 
head within : if the machine 
is now shaken backwards and 
forwards the slightest looseness 
jrj(-.^ jq" intheadjustment will befeltby 

the ball of the thumb and can 
be taken up with care. Before either of these tests is applied 
the top lock nut should have been screwed up tight, as it often 
happens that an accurate adjustment before this is done is 
found quite tight and immovable after it has been locked up. As 
pointed out above, and again emphasised here, the rider should 
be very careful to ascertain that the adjustment is accurate 
and not over-tight, otherwise the strain on the head may injure 
the machine itself. At the same time the beginner will do well 
to remember that there is a point of perfect adjustment which 
can be attained, provided that the machine has not been ill- 
used and that the centres have been fairly worn, although he will 
find it necessary sometimes to exercise a good deal of patience 
and some little care before the required point is reached. 




RIDING. 171 

Without neglecting the machine, if it obviously requires atten- 
tion, it is \\q\\ to let the head alone as much as possible, and 
perhaps at first to get some experienced friend to do the need- 
ful job, especially in the case of an expensive new machine, as 
it oftens happens that such a machine requires considerable 
adjustment at first, but after a litde steady wear it setdes down 
and remains in a practically satisfactory state for a long time 
with very little further attention. 

The next points that will require looking to will be the 
wheels themselves and their bearings, and the axles and bear- 
ings of tricycles. These may require a little screwing up, 
though the anxiety of the novice to do away with any side 
shake in his bicycle wheel is not to be encouraged; a very little 
looseness at this point does no harm, and shows that the bear- 
ings are not screwed up too tight, whilst it often happens that to 
readjust the bearings of an old and well-worn machine causes 
the balls to break, owing doubtless to the alteration of the 
positions of the coned surfaces on which they run presenting 
some irregularity which has been worn there by constant and 
careless use. Obviously untrue wheels are necessarily unsafe 
to begin with, and also a serious detriment to the rider who 
desires to steer a straight and steady course ; and thus it is 
always well to have such wheels at once put right by a compe- 
tent repairer, who should be also asked to run his eye over the 
cranks and see that they are straight. This fact being esta- 
blished, the pedals should be put on. These should be prefer- 
ably rat-traps which afford a good hold for the feet, and tend 
to prevent the rider from slipping his pedal. They should 
be true and straight, and if they are bought second hand 
they should be carefully examined. If any suspicion of un- 
trueness is entertained the pins should be taken out and put 
between the centres of a lathe and rapidly rotated, when any 
bend will be easily detected, and should be at once put right, 
as a crooked pedal pin gives a very uncomfortable twist to the 
ankle joint, and very soon tires the rider, whilst constant use 
will give the cyclist a permanent bad habit of screwing with the 



172 CYCLING. 

foot, a most unfortunate habit, and one which causes the action 
to look particularly ugly. The step, if not an adjustable one 
(some excellent adjustable steps are made by Messrs. Hill- 
man, Herbert & Cooper, of Coventry ; these can be arranged 
at any desired height, which is something of a desideratum for 
a beginner), should be conveniently placed not too far off the 
ground, but at the same time at a fair reach from the saddle, 
whilst if there is any difficulty in the matter it is better for the 
step to be convenient for the saddle and rather higher than is 
quite comfortable from the ground than vice versa, as the rider 
will be more likely to get from the ground on to the step 
than from the step to the saddle, under adverse conditions. In 
every case the edge of the step should be frequently rounded 
off with a file, as the constant friction sharpens it up to such 
an extent that it inflicts a very ugly wound should the rider 
be so unfortunate, from wet boots or other cause, as to miss it 
in the hurry of mounting or dismounting. The teeth of the 
step, as well as of the rat-trap pedals, should also be kept 
moderately sharp, at any rate at first, until the rider has arrived 
at that stage of his experiences in which he recognises the 
necessity of watching with care all these minor details of his 
steed's accoutrements, every one of which has a direct bearing 
upon his comfort and, what is still more important, his safety, 

ACCIDENTS. 

Falls on the road or path are of course of occasional occur- 
rence amongst cyclists. Although their frequency has been 
much exaggerated, a skilful rider will escape many an accident 
where an unskilful cychst is certain to come to earth. 

Many accidents are caused by the failure of some part of 
the machine, and are practically inevitable and unavoidable ; 
beyond, of course, the exercise of a certain amount of care 
and supervision, an examination of all parts of the machine for 
cracks and flaws and so on will obviate many falls. 

The habit of flying hills at a reckless pace, or run-aways 







COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS i:EiORS 



RIDING. 173 

through inadequate break power, will often be found at the 
bottom of some of the most serious accidents on the wheel ; 
and though caution may add to the time taken on the journey, 
it vastly improves the rider's chance of completing the trip 
in safety. A sound and well fitted break is of course a sine 
qua 11071 to the road-riding cyclist. A stout pair of gloves is a 
great protection to the hands in the case of a header, and when 
a cropper at high speed seems inevitable the rider should avoid 
as far as possible falling against banks or similar obstructions. 
A fair fall on the road, especially if the shoulder can be made 
to come first to the ground, generally results in a series of 
somersaults, which, though damaging to the cuticle and the 
angles of the frame, is nothing like so serious in its results as a 
dead stop against a bank or wall. It may seem absurd to offer 
hints how to fall, but it is quite an art of itself, for which many 
riders develop quite a peculiar talent. If the rider can by any 
little ingenuity twist or turn on to his back, the resulting 
injuries will be very slight. A case in point occurred, when a 
well-known rider came into violent collision with another on 
the track ; throwing his shoulder forward, he managed to fall 
flat on his back, and beyond the shaking felt no ill effects, 
Down hill on a bicycle the safest position is without doubt 
that in which the legs are placed on the handle-bar, as not 
only will a sharp application of the brake bring the rider over 
the front wheel and on to his feet, a somewhat jerky method ot 
dismounting, but singularly serviceable in cases of emergency ; 
but in cases of a bad fall the rider gets at once clear of his 
machine, and all practical cyclists know that the most painful 
injuries are caused by the handle-bars striking the front of the 
legs, so that, provided the rider has full confidence in his break, 
the legs-over-handles position is the safest. Should a rider fall 
on the road, as soon as the first pain has gone off he should 
essay to move. If his machine is uninjured and the cause of 
the cropper— a stone for example — clearly apparent, he should 
get on at once and make for the nearest doctor. If, on the 
other hand, he suspects a broken spring or a damaged bearing 



174 CYCLING, 

he will do well to walk, but in any case he should move off at 
once ere his wounds get stiff. Careful bandaging and the 
application of vaseline on lint will enable him to get home, and 
warm water and a soft sponge should be courageously employed 
to extract the grit and dust from the wounded surfaces ; their 
subsequent treatment should be left in the hands of the doctor. 
The path falls are decidedly the most serious in one respect, 
for if a rider has the misfortune to fall on cinders the results 
will be very disfiguring, blue marks exactly like tattoo and much 
of the same nature being the results of cinders being left in the 
wounds. Some of the best racing men have been sadly dis- 
figured about the face, elbows, and knees in this way. It is 
therefore necessary for the rider or his friends to take instant 
action after an accident on the cinder path. Warm water if 
possible should be used, and the wounds superficially sponged 
over quickly to remove the surface cinder, then the edges of the 
wound which resemble a series of parallel deep scratches 
should be pulled gently apart and the cinders which lie in 
them gently removed with the corner of a towel or a bit of 
sponge, frequent washing with water being necessary. The 
pain in some cases is considerable, in ochers the force of the 
blow temporarily dulls the nerves, and advantage should be taken 
of the fact. In cases of insensibility similar steps should be 
taken. On one occasion within our knowledge a friend seized 
a stiff nail-brush and brushed out a deep wound, with the double 
result of bringing the patient to by the combined effect of pain 
and blood-letting and of extracting all the cinder at the same 
time. Heroic reminders Hke these should however be gently 
used, under the eye of a doctor if by any means possible. Face 
wounds should always be well cared for, and the victim should 
be encouraged to permit the painful process as long as possible. 
If a companion will firmly grasp both wrists it will be found of 
assistance in the more painful moments. As in the case of road 
falls, vaseline should be freely applied and a handkerchief tied 
round to prevent rubbing, and then the rider should be sent 
home as quickly as possible. Gentle fomentations with warm 



RIDIXG. 



175 



water will assist in keeping the wound open and extracting the 
foreign matter. Dr. G. B. Partridge, of Anerley, in a letter on 
this subject says : — ' The best treatment undoubtedly is copious 
washing with warm water ; it need not to be desperately hot, 
and much of the foreign matter may thus be got rid of with the 
aid of a soft rag or a sponge. Very often larger fragments more 
or less imbedded in the skin may be removed at the time with 
a needle point, and this will be a considerable gain as to speed 
of recovery, and subsequently large soft ii?iseed-j?ieal poultices 
will materially hasten the separation of the particles too deeply 
imbedded for such mechanical treatment. I do not think 
anything else can be done in aid of Nature's own process of 
cure, which is in itself fortunately a fairly rapid one, the super- 
ficial layers of the skin undergoing frequent removal.' 

Rest is a very great assistance to convalescence, and it is im- 
perative in the worst cases. Of course broken bones need the 
surgeon's care, as also do more serious wounds than those 
alluded to above. The great thing is not to desire too rapid a 
recovery, and to give Nature time to re-establish the disinte- 
grated membranes. 

Cyclists, being usually in good health, and fair condition, 
recover rapidly. There are numerous nostrums in the market, 
some of which are very successful in removing stiffness, sprains, 
and bruises. Elliman's Embrocation and Henry's Thilum are 
both of service to the cyclist, and should be found in every 
dressing-room. 









176 



CYCLING, 



CHAPTER IV. 

RACING. 

THE racing section of the 
cycling sport presents both 
advantages and disadvantages 
to the rider ; but there is 
no doubt that on the whole 
racing has done good ser- 
vice to the sport, and that 
cycling owes much of its suc- 
cess to the racing man. He 
is in fact largely responsible 
for its phenomenal develop- 
ment : a development which is 
far in advance of any parallel 
growth of a sport in this 
country. Nor is the reason 
difficult to discover : the suc- 
cessful athlete uses his head : his mental, as well as his 
physical, powers are called into play. The successful cyclist, as 
well as the runner and the jockey, must think as well as act. 
It is only when sound judgment co-exists with suitable physical 
powers that excellence in any branch of athletics is obtained, 
The racing cyclist very soon decided that it was necessary 
to demand from the manufacturers an improved vehicle. Mr, 
Frederick Cooper, the ex-professional champion, was among 
the earliest of these reformers. He was fortunate enough to find 




RACING. 177 

an able seconder in Mr. Thomas Humber, of Nottingham, now 
one of the best-known manufacturers. Finding that the machines 
then made were unnecessarily heavy, the present head of the 
well-known Nottingham firm was soon convinced that im- 
provement was imperative and possible. The result of con- 
siderable labour was a vehicle which was then considered a 
marvel of lightness and strength. The existence of a demand 
very soon created a supply. The makers vied with each other 
in their attempts to meet the requirements of their customers, 
and in due course produced the thirty- five pound machine 
of 1879. This w^as generally considered as light a machine 
as it was possible to make consistently with the strength and 
stability required: yet in 1884 that weight was practically ap- 
proached by roadster machines of sound and serviceable pattern. 
Once having discovered the advantages derivable from a saving 
in the weight of a machine, the racing men incessantly clam- 
oured for further reduction and obtained it. As a matter of fact 
the craze was carried to the opposite extreme, and machines 
very much too light for any but feather-weight riders were sold 
to heavy men without any consideration on the part of their 
constructors. The heaviest of our racing men got across the 
flimsiest of racers, with the only possible result : breakdowns 
and consequent injury to both rider and machine. A reaction 
followed, and racing machines of from twenty to twenty-six 
pounds weight are now made amply strong enough to carry 
men of nearly twelve stone weight over the beautifully pre- 
pared cinder paths on which cycling contests are run, whilst the 
weightier racing men have learned by somewhat painful experi- 
ence that they 7nust have their machines built of sufficient 
strength and solidity to withstand the strain of their weight and 
power in the course of a long and severe race. 

The manufacturers, thus constrained to cut down the weight 
of the racing machines, were enabled, by the practical experiments 
they made, to arrive at some rather startling discoveries as to 
the amount of unnecessary metal hitherto introduced into the. 
frame and fittings of their roadsters, and ere long the experience 

N 



178 CYCLING. 

thus gained enabled them notably to reduce the weight of that 
very much larger class of machine represented by the roadster 
cycles. Heavy joints, clumsy tubes, and preposterous solids 
were eliminated from the standard patterns, and tube frames of 
light gauge, ingeniously curved and fitted, replaced the hap- 
hazard constructions of the dark ages of cycling; thus the road- 
riding contingent, on whatever style of vehicle they disported 
themselves, were actually benefited by the practical and some- 
times painful experiences of their racing confreres. 

This gradual development and improvement in the machine 
was almost entirely confined to the bicycle, and it was not 
until after that machine in its roadster form had been thus 
benefited by the experiences of racing men, and cut down by 
successive steps to a wonderfully light weight, comparatively 
speaking, that the attention of the makers was directed to 
the hitherto almost unnoticed tricycle, a machine which, as 
we have shown, was really very much older than the bicycle. 
The original velocipedes were clumsy and hea\y, and at first 
the adapters of bicycle construction to the three-wheeler 
followed too much the old lines, and attempted to secure 
success with a lever action ; this phase did not, however, last 
long, and the modern tricycle with its balance gear became an 
accomplished fact. At first it seemed as if tricycle making had 
sprung at once to perfection, for the novel materials were 
introduced after complete and exhaustive testing in the bicycle, 
and all the ' latest improvements ' as fitted to the bicycle were 
adapted to its new and popular congener, which thus 'on paper'" 
seemed abnormally advanced for so new an introduction. 
This, however, was not an unmixed blessing, this adaptation 
of bicycling details to the tricycle, inasmuch as many of the 
additions to bicycles proved inadequate or unsuited to the 
requirements of the tricyclist. Thus the spoon break, much 
employed by some makers of tricycles in the earlier days and 
persistently affixed even now to the most dangerous samples 
of rear-steering machines, was, and is, by no means suitable for 
use in connexion with the tricycle, whilst in many other minor 



RACING. 179 

points inadequate contrivances were adopted, solely because 
they had been found suitable and sufficient upon the bicycle 
of the day. Thus those cyclists who imagined that the suddenly 
developed tricycle was ' improved ' beyond improvement were 
considerably mistaken. 

An opportunity occurred not long ago of comparing the 
60-inch Huinber tricycle upon which Mr. L>acy Hillier trained 
for the 18S0 championship with the 44-inch Humber racer 
constructed in January, 1885, for Mr. George Gatehouse, the 
C.U.Bi.C. man ; the difference between the original type and 
its improved 'descendant' is very marked, more marked in fact 
than is the variation between the earUest ' spider-wheeled bi- 
cycle' and the 'racer for 1886;' and tri cyclists may feel assured 
that the development of their favourite mount will in point of 
rapidity compare favourably with that of the bicycle, inasmuch 
as scarcely six years have elapsed since the tricycle began to 
assume a position as a practical vehicle side by side with the 
bicycle. We venture to credit the comparatively small section 
of racing men with being the ' original cause ' of the rapid 
improvement which has been made in both classes of veloci- 
pedes. Possibly the manufacturers would tell us that the racing 
men gave them more trouble, and were more difficult to please, 
than any other section of their customers, and doubtless this 
would be quite true ; but it is particularly this fact which has 
brought about a desire on the part of the manufacturers to 
meet these particular gentlemen, and in that endeavour they 
have vastly improved the machines they manufacture, not only 
for the small class of racing men, but also for the much larger 
body of general riders. 

The very first thing that a man who decides upon taking 
up bicycle or tricycle racing should do is to take competent 
medical opinion as to his physical capabilities for the work. 
And we would venture to suggest that the intending racing man 
should ask the opinion of some medical man who is also either 
a rider or an athlete in some way or another. We say this sim- 
ply because some medical men set their faces against the sport 

N 2 



i8o CYCLING. 

without taking the trouble to consider the question at alh 
They arbitrarily assert the danger of cycling and threaten the 
would-be cyclist with all sorts of pains and penalties if he rides. 
Some medical men — their numbers are becoming daily fewer — ■ 
assert that the sport is especially productive of hernia, although 
long experience' has shown not only that this is seldom or never 
caused by cycling (unless a severe fall produces it), but that 
persons suffering from it can yet ride and cover long distances 
without any trouble or suffering. It is for this reason, therefore, 
that it is suggested to the novice that he should go to a doctor 
who has some knowledge of athletics. There are many, unfor- 
tunately, who cannot stand the mild strain of a ride upon the 
road, and such men would not of course venture to tempt fortune 
on the racing path ; there are others also who, although they are 
free from disease, anight possibly damage themselves by a vigor- 
ous course of cycling, and they also should avoid the path and 
its concomitant excitement and exertion; but there are men — ■ 
many of them — to whom the hardest physical exertion is, or 
would be, of the greatest practical benefit. These are men 
with good physical powers, sound in wind and limb, with- 
out any heart or lung trouble, and with an active digestion. 
Such men, unless they can take a sufficiency of exercise, abso- 
lutely suffer from those very physical advantages which they 
enjoy. They grow fat and unwieldy, and in the train of the 
abnormal development of adipose tissue follows any number of 
ailments which might have been avoided by exercise. 'But,' 
one of these physically favoured individuals may say, ' I cannot 
take exercise enough. I have got to work, and the time at my 
disposal for recreation is limited.' To such a one the obvious 
reply would be, ' Although your time is hmited, you can take 
quite enough exercise therein to keep you fit and well. Re- 
member it is the pace that kills, and if instead of a slow walk, or a 
quiet ride, you go in for a rapid run or a sharp burst upon a 
cycle, you will put into a few minutes the equivalent exertion of 
hours of slow exercise with equal advantage to yourself; always 
supposing, as premised above, that some competent and un- 



RACING. i8i 

biassed medical man has said that you are physically fit for the 
exertion you propose to undergo.' It is well for the prospec- 
tive racing man to consider whether there are any other draw- 
backs which may prevent his success. Varicose veins do not 
seem so seriously to interfere with the pursuit of the sport as 
they do with running and walking. The reason is obvious. 
There is an absence of any direct Tertical jar such as is 
experienced in running each time the foot comes to the 
ground, whilst the action is necessarily smoother, and with the 
aid of an elastic stocking a person suffering in this way may in 
most cases ride without injury or discomfort. In the same way, 
as was pointed out above, hernia, if properly supported, is no 
bar to riding or even racing, although the latter is by no means 
an advisable recreation for those who have the misfortune to 
be thus afflicted. Myopy, or near sight, is sometimes a great 
bar to success on the path ; the sufferer, being afraid to wear 
glasses in case of a fall, yet being unable clearly to see his 
opponents, is always nervous when near them. This is the best 
explanation of the unsatisfactoiy performances of some of our 
racing men, who can do good work when alone in practice, but 
who, after overhauling their men in open races, seem nervous 
or afraid to pass them. The only remedy is to wear glasses, and 
the danger in case of a fall would be very slight, as the glasses 
would be flat to the eyes, and these are in nearly every case 
protected by the nose, frequently to its serious disfigurement 
Many good men in the past have constantly ridden in glasses, 
and although occasionally they have fallen badly, no injuries to 
the eyes have been recorded as a consequence. 

If after a careful examination a rider has ascertained that 
he is physically fit for the severe exertions of the racing path, 
and can undertake the labour without injury to wind or limb, 
his first step should be a little preliminary work upon the road 
on his ordinary roadster machine; and here once again the 
necessity must be urged of cultivating carefully, at the com- 
paratively easy pace of road riding, that skill of ankle action 
without which a rider is always at a disadvantage. On the 



1 82 CYCLING. 

road the rider, whether bicyclist or tricyclist, should try and 
remember the rules laid down for successful pedalling, and 
should, so as to get every muscle properly set in place, have 
his racing machine as nearly identical as possible in pose 
and measurement with the roadster he is accustomed to ride. 
It is a very good plan for a beginner to race a few times upon 
his roadster, as he will be well set to the machine and thus will 
be enabled to ' feel his feet,' so to speak, without the dangers 
which must always attend anyone who makes his first essay on 
the path as a racer. When, however, he has gained a little expe- 
rience and can keep his head during the few exciting moments 
from the crack of the pistol to the crossing of the tape by the 
winner, he may purchase a racing machine, and this he should 
use in all his practice spins upon the path, so that he may get 
well set to it ere he ventures upon it in an actual contest. 

The choice of a machine which is to carry its owner at the 
highest possible rate of speed through a contest on the path is 
a serious matter, inasmuch as the slightest flaw or unexpected 
weakness in any part may lead in a moment to a serious if not 
fatal accident, and it is therefore a necessity that the would-be 
racing man should exercise great care in his selection of a 
mount. No complete novice at the sport would contemplate 
purchasing a racer, but even a fairly accomplished rider may 
be warned against purchasing a racing machine entirely upon 
his own responsibility. Some of the best makers of roadster 
machines do not make satisfactory racers, and therefore when 
a rider decides upon buying a racer he will do well to obtain 
the assistance and advice of a competent and able friend, who 
must of necessity be a racing man. In the choice of such a 
friend avoid the rider who is known or rumoured to be interested 
in any one or other of the manufacturing firms ; his advice is 
naturally not free from bias. The machine chosen should be 
of a make which has secured a reputation for trustworthiness 
upon the path; for, as we have pointed out above, a reputation 
for the construction of sound and serviceable roadster machines 
does not of necessity imply that the firm shines as brightly in 



RACJXG. 



183 



the construction of path machines. It is only by the severest 
of all tests, a practical one, that the merits of a racer can be 
gauged, and the disinterested advice of an old and experienced 
racing man will, therefore, be of the veiy greatest value. 

We regard with the sincerest sympathy the adventurous rider, 
and there are a few such, who for the first time ventures upon 
a ' racer ' of phenomenally small weight, constructed by a new 
and untried maker. The frame in such vehicles is cut down 




RUSHING A RISE. 



as light as it can be, the lowest possible effective strength being 
relied upon, and a very slight and probably undetectable fault or 
flaw will bring about very serious results. It may be that the 
new maker who has ventured on the experiment of construct- 
ing a racing machine has overlooked, in his heavier work, the 
bad quality of one particular casting, or other part of the rough 
material. This fault, when the casting, only just finished, and 
still with plenty of extra metal about it, was used in a roadster 



]S4 CYCLING. 

machine, was not apparent, but when cut down to the extreme 
of lightness, so as to compare favourably 07i sight with a similar 
fitting in a well-tried and popular make of racer, its w^eakness 
declares itself, of course, at the wrong moment, and a dangerous 
accident probably ensues. Then there is another class of 
maker — the firms who simply make up machines y^rW^. The 
main features of their manufactures are an exact similarity in 
design and construction throughout, and they supply a machine 
of just the same weight for the rider of thirteen s<-one as for the 
rider of eight stone. Such machines are invariably ill-fitted, 
and inadequate in ninet}^ per cent, of the cases in which they 
find unsuspecting and unfortunate purchasers. The machine, 
to he successful, should always be built for the rider, and with 
a careful consideration of his weight, proportions, and style 
of riding. The maxim above is closely adhered to by every rider 
of note, and also by every trustworthy firm of racing -machme 
makers, and no novice can hope to be really suited unless 
he takes some trouble to inform the makers to whom he gives 
his order as to the especial points which he requires modified 
to suit his individual peculiarities. Thus the effective reach of 
his leg can only be ascertained by practical experiment, and it 
is for this reason that an adjustable crank is fitted to all racers. 
IMany men on the racing path use too short a throw. Five 
inches, except in the case of particularly short-legged riders, 
should be the minimum, whilst men of lengthy reach may well 
avail themselves of their physical advantages, and by using a 
five and a half or even a five and three-quarter inch throw, make 
the work proportionately easier without any inconvenience to 
themselves as soon as the first novelty has worn off. A wild 
theory once obtained amongst racing men that a very short 
throw (as short as four and a quarter inches in some cases) 
tended to assist and improve the sprinting powers of the rider. 
This error was due to the relatively slower action of the limbs 
with so short a throw, and as the pioneers of path-racing were 
mostly heavily muscled road riders there is little doubt that 
they really could go faster by exerting their strength, in place of 



RACING. 185 

undergoing the exhaustion of a rapid h"ght action, just as now- 
a-days a weighty tricydist finds it easier to propel a geared-up 
machine with a slow action requiring more power, than a low- 
geared mount which requires not so much muscular exertion, 
but a more accelerated action of the limbs. When in due 
course the path ' flyer,' as distinguished from the steady road 
rider, became developed, the light, compact, and easily moving 
muscles of the trained racing man found ease and comfort in 
increased leverage in the throw. Heavy muscles, if put into 
unduly rapid action, are soon exhausted, but the light and 
flexible muscles of the path rider can more easily meet the strain 
of rapidity of action, as opposed to the slow yet powerful exer- 
tions of the road rider. Then again very much depends upon 
the position of the handles ; notliing conduces more to an easy 
and efi'ective style than a properly adjusted length of arm-reach, 
nothing will sooner destroy a rider's style than an awkwardly placed 
handle-bar, or an ill-arranged pair of tricycle handles. The 
position productive of the best results is that in \vhich the rider 
has his arms just flexed whilst sitting upright upon his saddle 
in a free and unconstrained position, and albeit men may, and 
often do, assume veryaAvkward-looking positions when engaged 
in a race, yet, whatever attitude they may take, the position 
of the handles suggested above will usually be found the most 
suitable ; this therefore is another point which should be studied 
by the maker of the machine. If the rider when racing is 
given to leaning ver}^ far forward,^ the maker will provide for this 
by putting a slight rake on the forks, or else the rider will do well 
to move his saddle some little way back from the head, thus put- 
ting a sufficient weight on the hind wheel, and at the same time 
carrying it forward w^hen in action by leaning over the handles 
in the manner known as the ' grasshopper style.' One of the 
most successful of our racing men — Fred East — set this fashion 
in 1879 '} his racing machine was made with upright forks, 
and his saddle was placed some inches back, this at that period 

1 The illustration on pnge 176 shows just how a racing man should 
not sit. 



I £6 CYCLING. 

being a noticeable fact, inasmuch as most riders then put their 
saddles close up to the head of the machine, following an 
example set by the then champion, John Keen. All these 
little matters require a certain amount of consideration, and 
that rider will succeed best who has most fully gauged his own 
requirements in all the above points, w^hilst he should not 
hesitate a moment about having any alterations or modifications 
made which, after a practical trial, may appear to him advisable 
or necessary, for ' a good fit ' is as necessary to a cyclist on a 
racing bicycle as it is to a runner in the matter of shoes, or to a 
rowing man in the shell which is to carry him in a race. Unless 
a man be fitted and suited, and unless he himself believes that 
he is fitted and suited, he cannot expect to ride with confidence 
or courage, which can only be cultivated by having every litde 
item throughout exactly to fit his ideas and experiences as to 
comfort and safety. 

The choice of a maker, then, should not be unduly hurried, 
and the order for a racing machine should only be entrusted 
to a firm whose manufactures have already made a name for 
themselves amongst practical and disinterested racing men. The 
best and most convincing testimonial an independent racing 
man can give a maker, is to ride the machine he makes, and 
when an intending purchaser finds that a largely advertised 
machine is ridden by only a few inexperienced bo7ia fide ama- 
teurs, outside the circle of 'salaried representatives' or 'em- 
ployes ' of the firm, he may feel assured that the machine, as 
made for the ordinary purchaser, is not good, and that for that 
reason it does not find favour wnth the genuine independent 
amateur, who invariably consults solely his own comfort and 
safety. Any racing man can tick off on his fingers the names 
of the few firms who have made and kept a reputation as 
makers of racing machines, and a beginner on the path will 
do w^ell to compare notes with the disinterested section of path- 
riders before he gives his order. This important point decided, 
let us say a word of warning to the would-be lacing man him- 
self. First, let us urge him not to run to extremes, and to permit 



RACING. 187 

the maker, who has had much experience in the matter, to decide 
as to what ought to be the weight of the proposed machine. A 
craze for Hghtness is one of the earHest symptoms of the racing 
fever, and the rider, obhvious of his actual bodily weight, his 
clumsy strength, and his general inability to properly ' nurse ' 
his machine, insists upon having a cycle so light that it 
would need all the accurate pedalling of a Hamilton — the 
Prince of Pedallers — to keep it from injury. In most cases 
where the novice makes this absurd demand an experienced 
maker acquiesces for comfort's sake, and then sends home 
the machine of a reasonable and safe weight. Perhaps the 
purchaser does not weigh it. He finds that it suits him, and 
is satisfied, and perhaps long after he has got the fullest con- 
fidence in it, he is surprised to discover that it is three or four 
pounds heavier than he imagined But, if he is wise, he will 
be content with the clever combination of lightness and strength, 
the happy mean between unnecessary weight and undue w^eak- 
ness, so successfully struck by the experienced, though often 
sadly abused, manufacturer. A well-known rider writes as 
follo'.vs in the editorial columns over which he presides. It is 
valuable as the opinion of a practical man whose authority is 
acknowledged among cyclists : — 

We can give from our own experiences (experiences which are 
bound to be accurately recorded if somewhat egotistical) a case in 
point. In the early days of our racing, without a mentor to advise 
us, we demanded from the makers of our racing machine lightness^ 
and lightness only. Despite the remonstrances and sound argu- 
ments of the firm's most practical chief, we still reiterated our re- 
quest, threatened to put the machine in the scale immediately on 
its arrival, and, if it weighed over thirty pounds, to return it. In 
due course we got it, placed it in the scale, and found it just a 
shade over twenty-nine pounds (this occurred some years back of 
course). Duly satisfied, we commenced to ride it, but it was by no 
means satisfactory ; it did not run rigidly at all, the forks whipped 
at the corner — in fact, at our then weight (nearly twelve stone) it 
was eminently unsatisfactory, so much so that we complained to 
the maker, whose reply may be easily supposed. We had asked 



1 88 CYCLING. 

for, nay demanded too light a machine. In due course the twenty- 
nine pounder was replaced by a vehicle of exactly the same 
measurements and proportions, which weighed thirty-one and a 
quarter pounds, and this proved in every way eminently satisfactory 
— in fact, we won all our championships and many other races 
thereon in 1881. The extra weight had not been put on at any 
especially weak spot, it had been introduced generally into the 
frame, and thus enabled it to bear our weight and withstand our 
exertion. 

In the same way may be instanced the machine ridden a 
few times in 1882 by the Hon. Ion Keith- Falconer. This, 
though a beautiful specimen of the bicycle- maker's art, w^as 
not sufficiently strong to carry his relatively heavy weight, 
and no sooner did he begin to spurt on it than the deflec- 
tion of the forks caused the bearing balls to bite, and made 
the work very hard ; a very slight additional weight, scarcely 
two pounds we believe, made a machine amply rigid enough 
for the fifty mile record-holder of 1882. We could multiply 
instances if it were necessary. Mr. F. L. Adam, for instance, 
once came out on a really beautifully finished racer by a very 
prominent firm of makers. There w^as but one fault to find 
with it — it was too light for so strong and heavy a man. The 
backbone sprung beneath his weight, and try as he would he 
could not get any pace out of it. He replaced it with a racer 
of another make some three or four pounds heavier, and 
immediately did well. Thus the novice will do well to avoid 
undue and excessive lightness, and as the question is not 
solely one of bodily weight, but of weight and skill considered 
together, he will, in the first instance at any rate, be well advised 
if he allows the more experienced maker to decide for him the 
actual weight necessary to carry him safely and satisfactorily. 
That important point being decided, the rider must next con- 
sider what shall be the size of his machine. It is obvious that, 
to do his best, his machine must be comfortable, he must have 
full confidence in it as well as in himself, and it must of course 
correspond very closely with his roadster machine, unless he has 
found in the latter any points and peculiarities which he would 



RACING. i8g 

prefer to have altered in the new madune, whilst it will be vastly 
to his benefit if the roadster is altered at the same time, so 
as to bring the measurements as nearly as possible together. 
Thus if a man is riding an ordinary fifty-eight inch roadster, it 
is clear that a closely built fifty-eight inch racer will be noticeably 
too short in the reach for him, and he will feel that he is 
what cyclists call 'tucked up,' 'cramped,' or 'going short' 
To meet this trouble the rider should carefully measure, or 
rather get. carefully measured, while on his roadster machine, 
the exact reach from the saddle to the pedal at its lowest point, 
and then have the racer constructed as nearly as possible to 
fit that measurement ; if he can measure in the same way the 
reach of a close-built fifry-eight inch racer by the same maker, 
it will assist him in his decision ; for should the racer reach 
I^rove shorter than that of the roadster by one and a half or 
more inches he can, without danger of over-reaching, have his 
racer built an inch higher than the roadster. So, in the 
instance given above, the user of the fifty-eight inch roadster 
would probably get the nearest ' fit ' by having a fifty-nine inch 
racer. Thus each item of the order should be compared with 
the roadster, and where the latter has been found unsuitable, 
the racer should be modified to meet the ideas of the prospec- 
tive user; but, as has been once or twice suggested, the roadster 
machine should, if possible, also be altered so as to correspond 
pretty closely with the measurements of the lighter machine. 
The relative positions should as much as possible be the same 
all through. The saddle should be put in just about the same 
place and just as far from the head, or, should the roadster 
have a good deal of rake on the front forks, put the same dis- 
tance back from a vertical line drawn through the axle of the 
driving wheel. The saddle will then be in each case in the same 
relative position to the pedals, a somewhat important point. 
The arrangement of the handles must also correspond as regards 
the saddle and pedals, and so on. When all these points have 
been carefully studied the practical rider will benefit by his work 
on the road as well as by his practice on the path. 



190 CYCLIXG. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF A RACE MEETING. 

It should be first noted that race meetings, whenever and 
wherever held, must, if they include amateur cycling events, be 
held under the rules of the National Cyclists' Union, and in the 
case of clubs not affiliated to that body, the committee must 
obtain a special permit to hold such a meeting. Unless this 
is done, any amateur riding at the gathering will be liable to 
suspension. A great many incompetent persons are too often 
to be found assisting, or attempting to assist, in the manage- 
ment of race meetings, especially in the country, where gen- 
tlemen are chosen to officiate in important posts who have 
not the shghtest practical knowledge of the duties they are 
asked to perform. For example, at one race meeting, wherein 
one good rider beat another by a foot, the mayor who was 
judging admitted he did so, but gave it a dead heat, 'because 
the other one had ridden such a plucky race.' Such little inci- 
dents as these disgust the riders, and they stay away another year. 

Great care should be taken to avoid that fruitful source of 
trouble — Local or Committee handicapping. One of tw^o faults 
is almost always committed. The locals are so tremendously 
underrated that they win the open events anyhow, or else the 
Committee so far over-estimate the merits of local contestants, 
and allot such short starts to their own men as to put them 
out of it altogether, which is just as serious a mistake. 

The handicapping of open events should always be placed 
in the hands of the National Cyclists' Union official, who should 
be given as miuch assistance as possible by the local authorities. 
Certain rules have been drawn up by the executive of the 
National Cyclists' Union for the guidance of those who essay 
to manage race meetings, and they will be found of the very 
greatest value. The officials most necessary to the complete 
success of a race meeting are the honorary secretary, the 
judge, the time-keeper, the starter, the dressing-room clerk and 
the telegraph-board steward. The honorary secretary must, of 



RACING. 191 

course, be energetic and untiring. He should be a well-known 
man if possible, and one in whom racing men will have confi- 
dence, and he should be backed by a small practical committee. 
Have as many good names as possible connected with the thing, 
as President, Patrons, and Vice-presidents, but avoid having 
any but the practical section on the working committee. The 
meeting should be announced as long beforehand as possible, 
in the Cycling and local Press, and moderate advertising 
should be arranged for some six weeks or so before it comes 
off. The duties of the honorary secretary will be various. He 
must write to the best riders, and press them to come ; he 
must obtain all the addresses he can of racing men who are 
likely to compete, and send them prospectuses : he will see 
that the cycling editors are supplied with copies of the same 
document, and also that a supply is sent to all the training 
tracks, the latter lots having a piece of string tied through one 
corner for the convenience of the attendant, who should be 
asked to hang the forms upon a hook in the dressing-room under 
his charge. The secretary should be in charge of the affair on 
the day, outside the ring, withm which is the domain of the 
judge, wherein that official rules absolutely. The judge, as the 
Union points out, is a supreme official, and should be most 
carefully chosen, for if he is incompetent all will go wrong. 
There should be only one judge, and his decision is final and 
absolute, and thus the choice of the right man is disine qica noii. 
The judge takes absolute charge inside the ring, and should 
work with the secretary in timing the calling out of the heats 
and the general run of the meeting. The time- keeper is another 
vasdy important official, and should also be selected with very 
great care, as it is very annoying to have a grand performance 
done at the meeting and then to find it disallowed because the 
time-keeper was not sufficiendy reliable. There are a number 
of trustworthy dockers with public reputations to uphold, and 
one or other of these gentlemen should be secured even at some 
expense, so that in future years good men may be induced to 
enter and run by the knowledge that, should they do a good 



192 CYCLING. 

performance, they will get the credit of it. The starter is an- 
other official of importance from every point of view, as with 
an incompetent starter men may take an unfair advantage, and 
any amount of heartburning will be caused thereby. When 
athletic events are also included in the programme, a profes- 
sional starter is a great attraction, but it is always advisable in 
the case of a newly employed man to give him a word of cau- 
tion not to hurry the pistol, as it often happens that a starter 
accustomed to starting sprint races is very much too quick in 
starting bicycle races. He should be asked to substitute ' Are 
you ready ?' for his habitual ' Get ready,' and to give time for 
any one of the competitors to answer ere he fires his pistol, 
otherwise the men will be hurried unprepared off their marks, 
and accidents are bound to ensue. Perhaps the most thankless 
task of all is that of the dressing-room clerk, who is compelled 
to stay in the room or tent throughout the meeting, and to look 
after the men for each heat. This official should set his watch 
with that of the secretary, and by that should send the men 
out in due course. He should have three copies of the pro- 
gramme, one fastened to the table with drawing pins, for his 
own especial use, and two to be handed alternately to the tele- 
graph-board steward, with the starters in each heat marked. 
He should also see that every man has his number, and should 
call out at least twice the names of the contestants in the next 
heat. The telegraph-board steward should be specially de- 
tailed for the job, and should be unmolested throughout the 
afternoon, as on him depends the information of the spectators, 
which, if not satisfactorily accomplished, will disgust them, 
and cause them to stay away in future. The telegraph steward 
should see that he has all the necessary appliances ready at 
hand, and should, as soon as a heat is over, get up the numbers 
of the next. In the case of extensive grounds, two telegraph 
boards are an excellent institution, and if worked competently 
assist much in popularising the meeting. The telegraph 
stewards should be allowed the assistance of a smart boy, or 
under-steward, to run for the list of starters during each heat, 



RACING. 193 

nnd also for the times accomplished. In the case of big meetings 
this task may well be entrusted to a professional, and some 
have made quite a name for themselves for reliability, and as 
has been pointed out above, the spectators round the track 
depend entirely upon the services of the board official for their 
information in many cases. Umpires are a necessity, and should 
be very carefully chosen, the judge being consulted as to the 
men to be asked ; whilst lap scorers and clerks of the course 
must also be selected. It is also advisable to appoint an offi- 
cial to keep the enclosure clear of unauthorised persons, and as 
this is somewhat of an invidious task, it would be w^ell to give 
such an individual the assistance of a poHce officer, who should 
take his orders from the appointed official. This is a particu- 
larly necessary appointment at country meetings, but needs 
muchtactonthepart of the person appointed ; still 'it is neces- 
sary for the comfort of all concerned. A very ingenious plan 
was successfully adopted at a certain meeting. A number of 
gentlemen connected with a cricket cl b, whose field had been 
duly hired and paid for, forced themselves into the centre of 
the ring, and insisted on staying there, despite the remonstrances 
of the official that the public who had paid could not see the 
finishes because of the crowd. Suddenly a happy thought 
struck him. It had been raining heavily, and he suddenly gave 
the order that all inside the ring should he down ; the youthful 
cyclists did so, but the rheumaticky elderly gentlemen, after a 
moment's consideration, sought seats in the grand stand as a 
safer resort, and the public viewed the races with comfort. The 
enclosure should be carefully cleared of unauthorised persons 
after each heat, and attendants and starters should be got out- 
side as soon as their men have finished. Some racing men 
fancy they have the right to stroll about inside the ring, but 
they should be at once disabused of the idea, as they interfere 
with the view. A certain section of press men also fancy that 
their journal is entitled to any number of representatives within 
the charmed circle, but this should be at once put a stop to, 
one representative being ample and all that can properly be 

o 



194 CYCLING. 

iillowed, whilst it is an excellent plan to reserve a space outside 
the track, properly fenced in and provided with seats and tables, 
for the accommodation of the representatives of the fourth estate. 
They can from this position see all the incidents of the racing, 
and a special messenger should be told off to keep them posted 
with the times, and so on. 

Great care should be taken to keep up the character of the 
meeting in every way ; the prizes should be of full value, and 
a special effort should be made to secure good dressing accom- 
modation for the competitors. In country towns the local 
lights should be invited to present a good prize, which should 
be called by some appropriate name, 'The Mayor's Cup,' for 
example, and the precedent once established, the prize will 
become an annual one. A ' Ladies' Prize ' should also be ar- 
ranged for, or a 'Town Cup ' may be secured by judicious can- 
vassing amongst the tradesmen and others. If the competitors 
enjoy the meeting, they and others will revisit the town, and 
the racing will be kept up to the mark, and each year will 
attract more and more attention and consequent gate-money. 
In a great number of provincial towns the cycle races are re- 
garded as an annual event, and the possibiHties of the amateur 
champion coming to contend for 'The Cup,' or the chances of 
the local favourite, are the subjects of lengthy discussion for 
weeks before the date of the fixture. 

The rules and regulations of the National Cyclists' Union 
bearing upon amateur race meetings will be found in the 
chapter devoted to that institution. 



19; 



CHAPTER V. 

TOURING. 

There is little doubt that by far the largest number of active 
cyclists find their pleasure in touring on their machines. The 
racing man has to undergo an elaborate and strict preparation 
marked by many rules and precautions, and although his 
enthusiasm may carry him through, yet it must be admitted 
that for the most part the work is very severe. On the other 
hand, the pottering cyclist who never ventures far from home 
has no idea of the enjoyments to be found in country rambles 
on the wheel. Many men are precluded by business engage- 
ments or physical incapacity from indulging in the fierce joys 
of competition, but the touring field is practically open to any 
rider who has the time to devote to it, and the number of quiet 
cyclists who thus spend their hohdays is yearly increasing, as 
the records of many an old wayside inn on the more favoured 
routes will abundantly testify. These holiday tourists, guided 
by the experience which they have obtained in previous years, 
or by the advice of their more practical fellows, plan out their 
trips with an eye to personal comfort, and after a few days of 
enjoyable riding return home invigorated and instructed. If 
they wield the pen with facility they fight their battles over 
again in the pages of the wheel press, and the short summer 
tour becomes a fund of lasting amusement, an event to be 
loolied back to with pleasure or anticipated with delight. 

To this important and daily growing section of cyclists it 
is intended to offer a few hints on the proper methods of 

02 



196 CYCLING, 

planning and carrying out a tour. As to the machine which 
should be adopted, this will be best answered by a reference 
to the chapter on cycles of various kinds, always, of course, 
bearing in mind that too light a carriage, or one not fitted 
with adequate break power, is merely a source of trouble and 
annoyance for the purposes of legitimate touring. Dress, too, 
will be found duly considered elsewhere. 

The first step a tourist should take after he has acquired a 
sufficient knowledge of his vehicle and confidence in himself 
is to join the Cyclists' Touring Club, an association formed 
especially to promote the interests of tourists in every way. 
The subscription is but 2S. 6d. with an entrance fee of is., and 
the rider having filled up a form will have to wait a longer 
or shorter time for his ticket. He should then purchase the 
' C. T. C. Handbook,' which contains an infinity of valuable 
information. This preliminary is given a foremost place in the 
present chapter as there is some delay in election, owing to the 
name of the candidate having to appear in the monthly gazette 
of the club, and it is therefore highly desirable that the intending 
tourist should lose no time in putting up for election. This 
matter having been duly arranged, the next thing necessary 
is to plan out the tour and select the route to be followed. 
This can best be done with the aid of the various maps, road- 
books and guides, a number of which have been placed before 
the pubhc. In general, some objective point is selected ; the 
tourist, perhaps, has friends in a distant town towards which he 
makes his way, or else he takes a circular route, which will 
eventually bring him home over new and unridden roads. 
Maps are of course of great service, especially for the purpose 
of learning the general direction of a place or a district, and 
shaping the course of the proposed tour accordingly. The 
'Cyclist's Pocket Road Guides,' pubhshed by R. E. PhilHps of 
Selhurst Road, S.E., are very useful, whilst the ' Cyclists' and 
Wheel-World Annual,' and the earlier ' Bicycle Annuals,' those 
especially for 1879 and 1880, together with as modern a copy 
of ' Paterson's Roads ' as may be obtainable, will, with the aid 



TOURING. 197 

of a decent map, enable the tourist to work out his route with 
suflicient completeness. This task having been accomplished, 
it becomes necessary to decide as to the average day's journey, 
and on this point it is necessary to utter a very emphatic 
warning against the error into which so many tourists fall, of 
fixing a ridiculously high standard which they find it practically 
impossible to accomplish. A large number of beginners fancy 
that they can ride with ease from sixty to a hundred miles daily 
for a week at a stretch, and on this basis they arrange their 
tours, with the result that they either break down utterly and 
are compelled to take the train home, or else they spend a 
miserable ' holiday,' riding hard against time during the whole 
of the trip, thus converting what should have been a pleasant 
outing into a period of hard labour and discomfort. The 
experienced tourist, on the other hand, does not attempt to fix 
arbitrarily the distance to be covered each day or the places 
where halts shall be made. He rather shortens the day's 
journey, being quite satisfied with forty or fifty miles at the 
outside, and generally has a spare day in the middle of the 
week as well, thus letting himself off as lightly as possible with 
a view to the more complete enjoyment of the tour as a whole. 
For the beginner even shorter distances are advisable. 
From twenty to forty miles, more or less, as occasion serves, will 
be found quite enough to count upon, at any rate until the rider 
has gauged his powers for road work day after day. This is a 
serious point, for a man who can ride sixty or seventy miles 
right off will find forty miles a day for a week rather a task, 
until by lengthened experience he has learnt how to economise 
and save his physical powers. The next necessary point, if 
the tour is to be a long one, is to fix upon one or two inns 
(headquarters of the C. T. C, as set forth in the Guide, to be 
preferred of course if the traveller desires, as it were, to 
identify himself with the interests and followers of the sport), 
where changes of underclothing should be forwarded, with a 
request that they may be aired and laid by ready for the tourist 
on his arrival. 



198 CYCLING. 

Except in the cases of some few peculiarly constituted 
riders, a solitary trip is a very slow performance, and the 
presence of at least one companion brightens things up 
materially ; yet the rider had better go alone than journey 
with a disagreeable companion (though this is a truism appli- 
cable to every step in life), or a man very much slower than 
himself. Two fairly equal riders greatly assist one another in 
maintaining a good rate of progression, as when one is a little 
tired the other brings him along, and when this man tires the 
other has perhaps again got into his stride. Large parties are 
scarcely so satisfactory, especially where club rules are rigidly 
enforced, as the men are then required to keep together, and 
this of course means that the whole party proceeds at the pace 
of the slowest rider, which after a few miles becomes very irk- 
some to the faster riders. Under such conditions loose riding 
should always be permitted, and, if possible, the slower men 
should be persuaded to start somewhat earlier than their more 
speedy companions. If a man can find no one to travel with him 
among his immediate friends, and if he is so bent on companion- 
ship as to be willing to take his chance of finding a congenial 
spirit, a notification may be put in the ' C. T. C. Gazette,' 
asking for a consort. It is always well for riders who put in 
such a request to state as clearly as possible their social position, 
so that the associate chosen may be suitable. Under these 
circumstances many a pleasant tour has been made and many 
a hearty friendship established. 

The intending tourist should not start upon his fortnight 
or more of active work without some sort of training and pre- 
paration, as this course very often produces most unfortunate 
results. The mere task of sitting in the saddle for several 
hours per day is painful to a rider who has not taken the pre- 
caution of undergoing previous practice and seasoning for the 
work contemplated, and it is for this reason that at least a 
fortnight's preliminary work is strongly recommended. Of 
course, if a cyclist has been on his machine daily for a time, 
he will soon get into sufficient condition to undertake a 



lOURING. 



'99 



moderate tour without any extra preparation ; but where riders 
only get out for the Saturday's spin, it is advisable that for 




^ ^il^ 



LUDGATE HILL. 



some time before the advent of the lookcd-for day they should 
ride at least three times a week, either early in the morning or 



200 CYCLING. 

in the evening, whichever is most convenient to them ; this 
riding should occupy as nearly as possible an hour, and should 
include a bit of hill climbing as well as some sharp dashes 
along the flat. Nothing like high training is needed, but still 
something more than the easy dawdling which so many riders 
are fond of indulging in during ordinary rides. It is an 
excellent plan for the prospective tourist to fix upon a given 
route, say eight or ten miles for a tricycUst, and ten or twelve 
for a bicyclist, and to ride over it at the most convenient period 
of the day, say three or four times a week. The trip should of 
course be carefully timed, and the rider should try to do better 
time on each occasion ; this will seem somewhat of a task, but 
it will vastly develop the muscles and increase the powers of 
the rider for average work. For this training the rider should 
put on some old flannels, and devote himself steadily to the 
business in hand. If this course be carefully followed out for 
a fortnight or three weeks before the tour, it will make a vast 
difference in the rider's capabilities, and, as a natural result, 
will decidedly add to his comfort, for of course it is scarcely 
necessary to remark that when touring the highest possible pace 
should not be attempted, but a fair, easy, and regular rate of going 
should be adhered to throughout. This steady and regular 
pace will be all the easier if the rider has learnt, by means of the 
training advised above, the knack of going a great deal faster, 
and it is just this theory of training which has succeeded so well 
upon the path. 

This precaution having been taken, and the rider having 
fairly developed his powers by careful practice, it will next be 
necessary for him to seriously consider what are the necessaries 
which he will have to take with him, or to send on, to the 
various important places where he will stop eii route ; and here 
again great latitude must be allowed, as tastes in these matters 
differ most notably. Thus one rider may regard a tooth-brush 
and a piece of soap as an ample equipment for a trip from 
Land's f2nd to John o' Groat's, whilst another rider may be 
seen laden with packages cunningly contrived and ingeniously 



TOURING. 20I 

fitted, all of which contain 'necessaries' from his point ol 
view. 

The bicyclist is in this matter obviously less favoured than 
the tricyclist, who has ample facilities for carrying the greatest 
comfort a tourist can wish for, viz., a 'complete change.' But 
the ingenuity of riders of the narrow gauge machine has met 
the obvious want, and many cleverly designed bags and carriers 
have been placed upon the market, some remarks upon which 
will be found elsewhere under the head of accessories. One 
general caution is absolutely necessary, and that is that luggage 
should never be carried on the spring. Several of the newly- 
invented carriers and bags are designed especially to be attached 
to the very tempting little loops placed at the back of the saddle, 
or to the upper bow of an Arab cradle spring, but the result is 
obvious and inevitable. If the saddle has been properly and 
carefully adjusted, and is absolutely comfortable without the 
luggage attached, it is clear that to hang upon the back of it a 
heavily laden bag must necessarily disturb its poise and cause 
it to rise awkwardly in front, a result which disturbs altogether 
the pose of the saddle, and, as a natural sequence, the comfort 
of the rider, supposing him to have been comfortably seated at 
first. Touring riders, therefore, will do well to avoid all such 
contrivances, and to adopt only those which do not interfere 
with the set of the spring or saddle. All the luggage to be 
carried should be carefully affixed by means of one or other of 
the carriers described elsewhere to the solid frame of the 
machine, although a strap may be run through the lower curl 
of an Arab cradle spring on a bicycle to prevent the load from 
slipping backwards. This, however, should not be done unless 
there is an actual necessity for it, and the strap should in no 
case be put through the saddle loops or through the top loops 
of an Arab spring. These cautions are absolutely necessary, 
as anyone can easily see who will cast a glance at the bags, 
&c., carried by many touring cyclists, which he will note are 
often affixed in such a way as to utterly nullify the effect of 
the spring as far as the rider is concerned On a tricycle the 



202 CYCLING. 

difficulty of carrying luggage is very much lessened, nearly 
every maker of a machine of this type designmg and fitting a 
sound and well-planned carrier, which will accommodate any 
reasonable amount of luggage : and although it is not advisable 
for the tricycling tourist to unnecessarily load his machine w^ith 
impedimenta, yet this possibiHty gives him the opportunity of 
carrying a small but well-chosen selection of convenient gar- 
ments, and so being to a very great extent independent of the 
troubles and annoyances which always environ the sending of 
clothing by railways, owing to mistakes and difficulties as to the 
carriage and deUvery of luggage, drawbacks which every tourist 
has experienced. 

Elsewhere carriers are fully discussed, and it will therefore 
be only advisable here to specify the various necessaries to be 
taken say for a week's tour. The bicyclist will in many cases 
fly light in the matter of luggage, and trust to chance for those 
changes which may be necessary, whilst he has always the 
option of retiring to bed should he be unable to obtain dry 
garments in which to sit up. But the cautious rider, be he 
bicyclist or tricyclist, who has once suffered from the incon- 
venience and discomfort experienced by the man who travels 
without a change, more especially of such articles as are made 
of cotton fabrics, will take care to provide himself with at least 
one complete change of undergarments, one uf the best and 
most convenient forms of which wull be found in the long pure 
wool Combination Garments, now placed upon the market by 
the Sanitary Woollen Company, of 42 Fore Street, INIessrs. 
E. Ward, of Eldon Buildings, Bradford, and some other firms. 

A medium thickness Combination will roll up into very 
small compass, and when put on it completely clothes the 
body from neck to ankles in dry woollen attire, over which 
damp woollen things may be put on again without danger, if 
not without some little discomfort. The Combination garment 
in short affords that complete change which will ensure im- 
munity from colds and chills, and it can be carried with ease, 
even by the bicyclist, as it will roll up into a small package and 



TOURING. 203 

can be placed along the handle-bar of the bicycle with a couple 
of straps. As it is of a very soft texture most riders can sleep 
in it at night, instead of using an ordinary nightshirt, always a 
bulky matter to pack up when space is Hmited. The fact of 
the woollen underclothes being a notable protection in case of 
damp sheets is also a strong recommendation for its adoption 
by the tourist. At the outset the bulk of the kit is thus 
materially reduced by making one article serve in place of two 
or more ; and if the Combination garment be only used in the 
evening and at night, and, of course, not ridden in, it will serve 
very well for the week. The kit carried must include toilet 
requisites, such as tooth-brush, hair-brush, comb, and razor. 
Of these the hair-brush is often omitted, as the rider wears his 
hair short, and the comb suffices. Some very excellent little 
cases known as the ' Cyclist's Pocket Dressing-Case ' are ob- 
tainable from the ' Cyclist ' office, 12 Smithford Street, Coventry. 
This miniature dressing-case is \\ inches long, \\ inch wide, 
and I inch thick, and so takes little space in the bag or 
package, and it contains a very cleverly arranged telescopic 
razor, a looking-glass, a tube of shaving soap, a comb, and a 
tooth-brush. Some handkerchiefs of small size, not too thin, 
and carefully marked with the full name of the rider, are very 
useful for anyone who is given to touring a great deal, as, if 
left to be washed at any hotel, they are easily identified. 
These handkerchiefs will roll up in the Combination garment. 
One neck wrap should be either worn or carried in the pocket 
to put on when stopping, and another may be with great advan- 
tage carried in the luggage for use in the evenings. Clean 
stockings will also, of course, be necessary. 

The articles required will easily roll up into a long bundle 
in a piece of waterproof, purchasable at any waterproof or 
india-rubber shop. The Combination should be folded till it is 
about twenty inches across. The bundle thus made may be 
held together by a couple of stout india-rubber bands, wrapped 
in the square of waterproof, and then affixed with straps to the 
handle ; the whole will make a sausage-shaped parcel, which will 



204 CYCLING, 

ride safely anywhere if properly strapped on or placed in a Nagel 
carrier, care, of course, being taken that it does not interfere 
"svith the action of the break. This parcel will also be found to 
answer a double purpose, as it affords a very comfortable rest 
for the legs when they are put over the handles for down-hill 
work. The rider who ventures far afield with this limited 
outfit will have to exercise a little care in his proceedings ; 
as soon as he has quite finished his work for the day he should 
get out of his damp underclothing and get into his dry Com- 
bination as quickly as possible ; over it he may, if necessity 
requires, safely put his damp shirt — of course supposing it 
to be flannel — whilst the dry neck wrapper should be put 
on under the band of the shirt. The dry and clean stock- 
ings, which should be kept for this purpose and not used for 
riding in, will prove an immense comfort. They should be long, 
and the wearer should draw them up as far as they will come 
over the knee ; thus next the skin all over he will have a dry 
change. Next morning his convenient little pocket-case will 
enable him comfortably to conduct his toilet. 

The tricyclist, as was pointed out above, is decidedly better 
off in this matter, and can easily carry more luggage ; at the 
same time the weight carried is decidedly a factor to be con- 
sidered in studying the convenience of the rider. Even the 
strongest and most steadygoing of cyclists will do well to take 
care not to overweight himself in this direction. The following 
will be found to be the best and most useful additions to the kit, 
which may also be carried by a bicyclist with a little extra 
trouble and care. The Combination garment will still be found 
of the greatest service, and should, of course, be taken ; but a 
flannel shirt, preferably with a collar, should be added and used 
solely for the evening wear, whilst the riding shirt is being care- 
fully dried. The pocket dressing-case will also be still used, 
but a stout sponge-bag should be carried with a rubber band 
round it, containing sponge, tooth-powder, and brush. A soft 
cloth hat of the deer-stalker shape, which folds up flat, should 
be added, and the handkerchiefs, neck wrap, and stockings, as 



I ' / 




Sii«Siki'^"3^^' 



,?'!vwV M^'^M 



TOURING. 205 

before. One or other of the larger bags used by tricychsts 
will generally hold this outfit. 

The bag should be fastened when packed on to the carrier, 
which will of course have been fitted to the machine. If the 
Clytie or Humber bag be used, it should be so arranged that it 
can be easily unlocked and opened without removal from its 
fastenings on the machine, as this will be found a great con- 
venience when riding. For a longer tour, especially if the 
direction is uncertain, the baggage must, it is hardly necessary 
to say, be increased, or the rider must make up his mind to 
stop for at least one clear working day to have his things 
washed ; but, wherever possible, arrangements should be made 
to avoid carrying much more than the outfits detailed above. 
To do this it will be necessary to forward the requisite changes, 
preferably by parcels post, to various points e7i route. Half a 
dozen of the squares of waterproof mentioned above should 
be purchased, and when the tourist has decided on a lengthy 
trip, the route should be approximately fixed upon and certain 
houses picked out, to which changes should be sent. A parcel 
should be made up for each week of the tour : thus, if the rider 
is going away for five weeks, he will need to send on four parcels, 
including, in each, Combination garment, flannel shirt, handker- 
chiefs and stockings. These, having been well aired, should be 
tightly rolled up in the waterproof or otherwise securely packed 
and the fastening sealed, and a label should then be attached 
bearing clearly the name of the sender thus : 




Frojii 

J. SMITH, 

To Normans Cross Hotel, 

Near Stilton. 



On the back in smaller characters should be carefully inscribed 
Mr. Smith's name and home address, whilst it is always a good 
plan to have the same name and address clearly written on the 



2o6 CYCLING. 

inside of the bag or piece of waterproof used. The hotel 
people should be advised by letter and asked to keep the 
parcel in a dry place, and a couple of days before the rider 
gets to the hotel he can (in the case of a parcel) send on a 
note asking the people to open the package, and get the things 
therein aired. The parcels can be sent on to the C. T. C, or 
other houses, either before the rider starts on his tour — which is 
the best plan for a single man in lodgings or otherwise situated in 
such a way that he cannot be sure of his orders being attended 
to at once — or else from home on receipt of instructions as to 
when and where they are to be sent. At the end of each 
week the rider will get his change of clothes, and will send the 
used ones home in the same package by parcels post (which is 
in many cases quicker and more certain than the railway 
carriers' delivery), and they can, if necessary, be washed and 
aired and sent on again to another point on the route followed. 
The more luxurious of our tricychng tourists go even further in 
the matter of changes which they carry, as they not only take 
a complete suit of underwear, but also a complete change of 
outer garments ; this is of course the acme of sybaritism, but 
it is doubtless a great comfort to a good many riders. Some 
take a pair of trousers made of the same material as their riding 
suit, but without any linings, and they generally choose a cloth 
hat of the same stuff, constituting the traditional 'suit of 
dittoes ' of the British tourist. The advantage of making the 
wearer inconspicuous as a pedestrian is gained, although the 
cycling uniform is now so common an object in all towns 
during the riding season that it may be worn without annoy- 
ance almost anywhere. Others, again, have a suit made for 
the purpose of carrying with them whilst on tour. This suit 
will pack up into a very small space and is very light, and, 
if put on immediately on arriving at the hotel, it will soon 
lose the creases due to close packing. A pair of woollen socks, 
a dry flannel shirt, and a pair of shoes, complete the costume. 
The extra shirt should in most cases be of flannel, preferably a 
thin flannel, but in the heat of the summer and for short trips, 



TOURING. 207 

the lounging shirt — as distinguished from the working one — 
may be of liglit cashmere or stockingnette, some of the gar- 
ments of this type being excellent. 

Whatever may be the class of shirt chosen, these points 
should be insisted on : it should open down the front, come 
well up to the throat, and have a good-sized lay-down collar 
as a part of the shirt. A long stocking cap, or sailor's cap, of 
knitted material is a very useful addition to the kit. It can be 
used for night riding, being drawn down well over the ears, 
whilst, should the tourist entertain the slightest suspicion of the 
dr)'ness of his sheets at night, he can obviate cold in the head 
or worse dangers by sleeping in this cap. For campers, whether 
it be a hot summer night or not, the stocking cap, which is 
light and takes up very little space, is almost a sine qua non. 
For those who when touring will insist on carrying an im- 
mense amount of luggage there is no excuse, as any amount of 
baggage can be sent on to various points through the usual 
channels, and a rider is not supposed, even by the most punc- 
tilious of his friends, to carry an elaborate wardrobe with him. 
If a host really expects this, the guest had better either go by 
train himself, or forward his portmanteau before him. On the 
other hand, it is not necessary for the cycling tourist to be 
always in dhhahille ; a very small amount of forethought will 
enable him to appear carefully and appropriately dressed if 
nothing more. For further remarks upon dress as applied to 
touring the reader is referred to the chapter on dress. 

The tourist, with his luggage arranged and his route chosen, 
is ready to start ; but before he gets away from home he will 
do well to look over his machine, and in fact the careful rider 
will do this a day or two before the start, so as to allow time 
for the rectification of any little breakage or damage which may 
be discovered. The machine should be carefully overhauled ; 
the head should be adjusted, not too loosely or too tightly, but 
just at the happy mean ; the break fittings should be cleaned up 
and scrutinised with a careful eye, the hinges oiled, and a very 
strict search made for any flaw or crack or unexpected wear — 



2o8 CYCLING. 

the slightest weakness in this important point may endanger 
the Hfe or hmb of the rider. If the break of a tricycle does 
not seem to act with sufficient strength, the band should be 
carefully removed and the black shiny places on the leather 
lining cut away with a rasp or rough file. If a httle powdered 
resin is then dusted over the leather, it will add to the efficacy of 
the break (in front steerers, but it is dangerous in Humber 
type machines, being jerky in its action), and a small supply of 
powdered resin should be taken in case of a long tour. The 
bearings throughout the machine should be carefully adjusted 
if any looseness is apparent; but it is never right to screw them 
up so that there is no side shake at all, as the balls are thus 
liable to be broken, and any slight stiffness which may result 
from the closer adjustment should be worked off some time 
before the start for the tour. The bearings should be dosed 
with paraffin, which should be put in with an ordinary oil-can 
and the wheels rotated rapidly, when the coagulated oil will be 
liquefied and the grit brought out with it. After the exudations 
from the bearings have been wiped off they may be carefully 
oiled up anew with good oil. The spring screws should be 
looked to and tightened, and the saddle firmly fixed in a com- 
fortable position ; if the saddle itself is very hard, it may be 
washed with soft soap, which should be rubbed quickly on 
and off, carefully cleansed with a sponge full of warm water, 
then dried with a cloth and left for some hours to get quite dry. 
The wallet should be looked over carefully and the necessary 
spanners placed therein ; unless they fit every nut (a most un- 
usual occurrence with most firms in the cycle manufacturing 
trade), a good adjustable wrench should also be carried. The 
spanners, &-c., should be wrapped up in a stout piece of rag to 
prevent them from rattling, the oil-can should be rinsed out 
with a drop of paraffin and the nozzle carefully cleansed with a 
bit of wire, and then a pin may be put down it and the cap 
screwed on, after which it should be filled with a good sound 
oil with plenty of body; some string and a couple of feet of fine 
copper wire will often come in useful, and an extra nut or two 




A MIDDAY HALT 



TOURING. 209 

may be added to fill up an unoccupied corner. A spoke- 
tightener is necessary with some machines, but it is not a good 
plan to ride the class of vehicle which requires this appliance ; 
the tourist's wallet will therefore contain the following items : — 

The spanners supplied with the machine. 

One adjustable wrench. 

One oil-can carefully filled. 

A piece of copper wire. 

A yard or two of string. 

A piece of rag to wrap spanners in. 

Some nuts and other odds and ends. 

The lamp will next require attention ; the bicyclist will of 
course examine the fittings to see that they are sound, especially 
if it be a hub lamp, as any failure of the rivets will be certain 
to cause an accident, which will involve the ripping of a good 
many spokes out of the machine as well as very serious 
results to the rider. It is well to take a bit of wick in the wallet 
if the tour is to be a very long one, whilst the lamp should be 
charged with colza or some other easily obtainable oil, so that 
there may be no trouble in getting the lamp refilled, a serious 
drawback to the use of some fancy oils for lamps. The lamp 
being found all right, the bell or gong should be seen to, and 
any alteration that may be necessary having regard to the 
luggage carried on bicycles or any other matter in connexion 
therewith should be made. The tires should be examined all 
round to see that they are firmly cemented into the rim, and 
should any portion however small prove to be loose, it should 
be at once refixed and made sound to undergo with safety 
the work before it. The man and the machine being ready, 
the baggage packed and the route selected, it only remains for 
the tourist to jump upon his carriage and depart upon his 
journey. 



2IO CYCLING. 



CHAPTER VL 

TRAINING. 

Training, as applied to athletics, may be defined as the pre- 
paration of the body for new and unaccustomed strains, and 
the gradual fitting of the human frame to undergo the severest 
physical exertion. The systems whereby this result is sought 
to be obtained vary greatly in character ; some are sensible and 
practical, some — and it is to be feared the greater number — 
are very much the reverse. Even now many of the authorities 
who superintend the preparation of our athletes are ignorant 
and ilHterate, and work by rule of thumb without any accurate 
knowledge, guide, or intelligence. In former times this was 
even more conspicuously the case. Till a comparatively recent 
period the only persons who underwent serious training were 
men who made the sport they practised a profession — 'profes- 
sionals,' as by the colloquial employment of the adjective they 
are ungrammatically called. An amateur who competed with 
other amateurs in boxing, running, walking, and similar exer- 
cises, rarely trained at all. He took the matter much less 
seriously than his successor at the present day, who knows that 
to have the smallest chance of success he must be fully pre- 
pared. As a result, most of the training lore that has come 
down to us is of the professional stamp, the outcome of much 
hard and sharp experience, largely diluted with ignorance and 
absurdity. The professional athlete was in many cases a very 
vulgar creature, whose idea of recreation and relaxation was 



TRAINING. 



211 



indulgence in unlimited liquor, and whose habitation was 
among the lowest class. His patron, or master, backed him, 
made a match for him, or laid a wager on his prowess, as he 
might on a horse or bulldog in his possession, without greatly 
.troubhng himself about the feelings or desires of the human 
animal he controlled. The patron when he had made a match 
sought not the athlete himself, but the trainer, the professional 













A PRACTICE SPIN. 



manager of such refractory creatures. The trainer, acting on 
instructions, dislodged his promising charge from his favourite 
haunts, and in all probability found him — if the last match had 
been won, and the patron had ' behaved handsome ' — fleshy, 
dull, and ill, with physical powers degraded by debauchery. 
Under such circumstances, no half measures were possible. 
The trainer, having got his charge in hand, forthwith dosed 
him with aperient salts until he had half killed him ; that, 

p 2 



212 CYCLING, 

indeed, was the usual practice, even in a higher class of hfe when 
health failed in the good old days. A course of drastic treat- 
ment soon brought the unlucky gladiator down, and reduced 
him to a humble and tractable state of mind and body. 
Having thus overcome to a certain extent the active effects 
of his excesses, the trainer commenced the 'building-up' 
process, which culminated, if all went well, in the delivery 
of the athlete, as 'fit as hands could make him,' at the 
appointed spot on the day of the match. Not only had the 
sorely-tried mentor to train his man, regulate his diet, watch 
over his work, and keep him at it, but he had to guard night 
and day against an outbreak of drunkenness, which destroyed 
in a few hours the careful preparation of weeks. Knowing from 
long experience that his charge was certain to transgress if not 
closely watched, the main idea of the trainer gradually centred 
on the best means of keeping him from drink. It may readily 
be supposed that such a system was wholly inapplicable when 
the subject was no longer a mere animal, but an intelligent 
and well-educated man. A few years ago a great revival of 
athletics took place. Enghsh youths began to recur to the 
example of ancient Rome, and to fashion themselves as did the 

Romans of old— ^^^^^^ 

More Palaestrae. 

The enthusiastic amateurs, with all the energy of men following 
hotly a new idea, sought assistance from the only guide at 
their disposal, some old-fashioned trainer, who could see no 
difference between the ardent young athlete and the men on 
whom he had formerly operated. Sauce for the goose, argued 
the ancient gladiator, was sauce for the gander. The disciple 
who hung upon his words did not dream of suggesting that the 
system which had been found necessary and efficacious for 
so many generations was inapplicable in his case. The new 
pupil did not urge that he was a well-behaved young man, that 
he had no sort of inclination to excess of any kind, and that 
from previous habits he had no acquired maladies to shake off. 



TRAINING. 213 

The trainer felt sure, from long experience, that, whatever he 
might prescribe, his patient would be sure to drink enough, if 
not decidedly too much ; and so, when the rules and regulations 
laid down orally by these athletic fossils were reduced to print, 
the prohibition of liquid refreshment was found to be absolute. 
Thirst was utterly ignored, or was treated as an enemy to be 
resolutely defied. A man in training, said the ancient trainer, 
must drink nothing. He did not recognise the fact that, whereas 
his charge of the past had to be coerced into doing what he was 
wanted to do, and watched and prevented from doing what he 
was not wanted to do, his charge of the present — the young and 
ardent amateur — was as likely as not to go to the other extreme, 
and to overwork himself, over-diet himself, nay, ' starve ' him- 
self for want of a reasonable amount of liquid, out of deference 
to Draconic laws laid down in the faith that whatever a trainer 
said would be only partially obeyed. 

But experience keeps a hard school, and, after a somewhat 
lengthy thraldom, amateur athletes began to exercise their own 
common sense and to emancipate themselves from the Spartan 
regimen of work, diet, and drink laid down for them by their 
earlier mentors. When once intelligent medical attention was 
directed to the system of training, very little consideration suf- 
ficed to show that the old rules were only made for men who 
were expected to carry them out half-heartedly, whereas the 
new school of amateurs carried them out to the letter, and 
even exceeded them, with very evil results. So after a time the 
old system fell into desuetude, its professors became discredited, 
and a style of training more appropriate to the new circum- 
stances and surroundings rose in its place. The old athletes 
who still survive sneer at the men of to-day, whose training, 
from their point of view, is no training at all ; but the fact is 
undoubted that amateurs to-day get into better condition and 
go faster than the best of the old-time professionals, who, with 
dosing and work, were often ' done to death ' by the time their 
match was over. Of course, once in a way an athlete is found 
who not only can stand, but actually requires, the very hardest 



214 CYCLING. 

work. On the other hand, we have plenty of instances of men 
who, with but Httle training in the truest sense of the word, and 
with only a slight amount of careful practice, can show their 
very best form at very short notice. 

The racing cychst of to-day should avoid the old system 
altogether, and do his best to get the assistance of a modern 
adviser who works upon reasonable and rational lines. The 
main idea of the modern school is that every precept laid down 
is to be carried out to the letter. Preparation of the frame and 
the physical powers for severe exertion is not a task which 
should be undertaken in haste. If a man has but a few days 
in which to prepare for an important contest, his mentor will 
do well to keep him off the track altogether, and thus let him 
start quite unfit, so that his miseries may cause him to desist 
early in the struggle. 

To start in a contest when out of condition is a very serious 
matter, both to the novice and the rider who has once been 
highly trained. The novice, unless he has undergone an ade- 
quate preparation, may very easily damage or strain himself. 
The once highly-trained rider is in still greater danger. There 
is no doubt that in athletics a mental training goes on side by 
side with the physical development — a quickening of the mind, 
an enlarged nervous control over the limbs ; in short, a. reflex 
action of the mental over the physical powers, which has very 
much to do with success. Physical training is easily lost ; 
a very short spell of idleness will cause the rider to lose much 
of his power for sustaining prolonged exertion ; he gets fat, and 
his wind gets short— in fact, ail the results on his bodily func- 
tions of hard and careful training pass away, and he is ' unfit ' 
in every sense of the word. But, although the subject is left 
with but little of the muscular fitness that once distinguished 
him, and with skill impaired by want of condition, the mental 
training remains, and is to a very great extent permanent. 
That supreme command, which the mind in a moment of 
highly-strung excitement — such, for example, as the sharp finish 
of a race — brings to bear upon the ph^^sical powers, takes con- 



TRAINING. 215 

siderably longer than mere physical powers to develop ; but, 
once developed, is ver}^ rarely altogether lost. Though the 
athlete may be physically unfit and out of training, the tyrant 
mind remains imperative. The flaccid, fat-laden muscles, the 
stiff, unexercised limbs, the clogged and unexpanded lungs, 
when called upon for a tremendous effort, hke the soldiers of 
Hannibal after their stay in Capua, are not ready for the task. 
The result is an inevitable breakdown. Lucky is the athlete 
who, under such circumstances, only strains a ligament, or 
ricks a joint, and escapes heart-disease or other insidious ills. 
A very keen observer, a splendid athlete (and a tricyclist also) 
— Mr. Horace Davenport — who has so long been the champion 
swimmer, in a letter to a journal that has now disappeared — the 
'Athletic Review ' — says: ' I fancy that in all competitions where 
staying power is required, the mind has far more to do with keep- 
ing going than has the body, though, of course, the latter must be 
in good condition to answer the call of the brain, otherwise there 
is a breakdown, probably with permanent consequences. Train- 
ing undoubtedly gives the mind a great power over the body, and 
my experience goes to show that, after training has been given 
up, the mind retams the power it has developed far longer than 
does the body ; and this is where the danger of athletics comes 
in, for many a man who has trained is induced, on the spur 
of the moment, to make some foolish match. His body is out 
of condition, yet it is likely his mind enables him to pull off 
the event ; but the feat will probably be followed by prostra- 
tion of the system. There would not be nearly the same danger 
to a man who had never trained were he to try his level best 
at anything, for in his case most hkely the body would decide 
when it had had enough, and would " cave in " accordingly.' 

This opinion, coming from so practical an authority, should 
carry weight. Unless an athlete is well prepared he should 
exercise a wise discretion, and abstain from entering on any sort 
of competition, even if he only goes in for the purposes of 
exercise ; in fact, it is always safer for one who enters any 
contest with that object to choose one outside his specialite 



2i6 CYCLING, 

at which he does not mind being beaten. Say, for example, a 
once prominent cycHst desires to keep up a certain amount of 
exercise, but does not intend seriously to train. Let him take 
as much exercise as he pleases upon his machine ; but, if he is 
pressed to enter in some open competition, or at the sports of 
clubs to which he belongs, let him take up some other branch 
of athletics ; for, if he rides in any contest half-trained, he will 
assuredly find himself in an awkward and uncomfortable predi- 
cament. Perhaps, for example, half a mile from the winning 
post he wall be racing side by side with some old rival. In a 
moment all the old Adam stirs within him. There is the old 
familiar whirr of the wheels, the w^ell-remembered shouts of the 
spectators, and the encouraging cries of friends. His caution 
and the determination to give up when he has had enough are 
forgotten. The clang of the bell as he enters the last lap strikes 
his ear. His mental training involuntarily calls upon the phy- 
sical powers for the old spurt, the old well-timed muscular 
effort. What though he be exhausted, if giddiness and sickness 
almost overcome him ? He simply sets his teeth the firmer, 
grips his handles, and makes the fierce and final effort as of old. 
jNIuscles and lungs are not fit or ready for the task, and, unless 
he stops from sheer exhaustion, something must go, and injur}^, 
perhaps for life, ensue. This is what should be most carefully 
avoided, and a once trained athlete should exercise the greatest 
caution in after years as to the exertions he sets himself to 
undertake. 

Bearing all these facts in mind, the rider, when commencing 
to train, should seek to develop, not only his mere animal or 
physical powers of wind and limb, but his mental powers as 
well. His trainer, if he has one, should study as much as pos- 
sible his temperament and pecuUarities. Should he, however, 
decide to train himself, some observant and experienced friend 
must be persuaded to watch him, and, as far as possible, point 
out his errors. There is nothing more beneficial to the beginner 
than the care and treatment which a competent trainer can 
bestow. The very things which a rider does not want to do 



TRAINING. 217 

are frequently the particular exercises most necessary to his 
success. Racing men, like race horses, have their tempers 
and their peculiarities. Some horses must lead all the way, 
others prefer to wait ; some are lazy, others too fiery. So 
with the racing man. One cannot 'make the pace' — i.e. go 
fast — when in front ; another cannot go fast when alone on the 
track ; others go fastest when they have an adversary ' dogging ' 
their hind wheels. Some riders feel compelled to wait behind 
the leader, and only come out for the final rush ; others like to 
ride first, and race from start to finish. All these varying tem- 
peraments are represented upon the path, and their various 
exponents show the highest quality an athlete can possess — 
judgment — when they succeed in winning on their own precon- 
ceived plan. It w^ould be easy to name individual riders whom 
the descriptions given above would fit. Mr. R. H. English, 
of Newcastle, is a type of the rider who simply ' goes all the 
way.' He puts down his head and never looks behind him. 
Mr. H. W. Gaskell was a typical 'waiter'; w^hatever the dis- 
tance of the race, he never led until the last 300 yards, and 
then he threw all his energies into one supreme effort. Of late 
years we have had perhaps too many 'waiters'; and scratch 
races— that is, races in which men start level — have, in conse- 
quence, been very slow for the spectators — the one mile cham- 
pionship of 1884 occupied three minutes and thirty seconds. 
Sometimes, in an important contest, such as a five-mile scratch 
race, all the men who have a chance for the race wait upon 
each other, and leave an unimportant outsider to make the 
pace. They start, but no one wants to go in front ; they lite- 
rally crawl round the path. Presently an ambitious rider— an 
outsider— without the ghost of a chance, dashes to the front 
and takes the field along for a mile or two at an improved 
pace ; then another outsider takes his place, and makes the 
pace for another mile ; the two or ihree ' crack riders ' stick 
close together for some sixteen or seventeen minutes. Sud- 
denly there is a change. ' Two more laps ! ' shouts the judge. 
The ambitious outsiders suddenly collapse, and the three cracks 



2i8 CYCLING. 

draw out from the ruck and race to the front. One of them 
secures a momentary lead, the others in close pursuit ; they close 
up ; wheel overlaps wheel ; the three riders are nearly abreast 
as the tape is reached for the last time round ; the bell rings, away 
they go for a furious spurt of 440 yards, and the speediest sprinter 
wins what is nominally a long-distance race. Nearly all our men 
during the last few seasons, if indeed there are any exceptions, 
have trained for sprints and sharp finishes only ; as a natural 
consequence beginners have followed in their footsteps, and 
a good final spurt has been regarded as the great object of a 
racing cyclist's ambition. Happily a change has already begun 
in this matter, and a more careful preparation for long and 
well-sustained effort is being undertaken by some of the best 
men. Among professionals several well-known riders, such as 
Battensby and Lees, go long distances in training. Profiting 
by the example of the former rider, Mr. R. H. English, the 
sturdy amateur from Newcastle, set a grand example by ' going 
all the way ' in the Crystal Palace and Kildare Challenge Cups 
in 1884 ; and our amateurs, more especially those whose forte 
lies in staying, as compared to sprinting, will do well to study 
the successful system of preparation undergone by Mr. English 
and other long-distance riders. 

In the following notes we shall treat of the riders in two 
classes : short- and long-distance men. In the immediate future 
these two classes of racing cyclists will probably become more 
and more distinct. The long-distance man, as distinguished 
from the sprinter, will stick to distance races. The * sprinter ' 
will go in for what Americans aptly call ' dashes. ' Of course 
racing cyclists are as diverse in their powers as are running, 
walking, swimming, or rowing men. Amateurs of running would 
be surprised to see Mr. J. \l. Cowie, the loo-yards amateur 
ex-champion sprinter, start in a one-mile race, yet no one seems 
to think it at all surprising that a bicyclist hke Mr. Gaskell, who 
is extraordinarily speedy for a single mile, should start for 
the 25-mile championship. In the same way when George, 
the distance running champion, enters for a short race for the 



TRALXIAG. 219 

purpose of improving his pace, he gets a long start — and a 
beating ; yet in cycling Mr. H. F. Wilson, a man who held 
many records over 30 miles, persistently enters and runs for 
one-mile handicaps. The whole theory and system on which 
cyclists have been working of late years have been vitiated by 
this effort on the part of the riders to succeed at the distance for 
which their physical powers most unfit them. Cyclists must 
look to it : the * stayer ' must stick to distance riding, and the 
' sprinter ' to short ' dashes.' The sprinter, when training, should 
never ride either a long distance or a long race, as it is certain 
to stiffen his muscles and make him slow. The long-distance 
man on the other hand may in moderation ride in short-distance 
races to improve his pace, always taking care not to train for 
short distances, and to keep his attention fixed upon long work. 
A fatal error into which many racing men fall is over- 
work, or rather over-competition. Anyone who carefully con- 
siders the principles of exercise and training will see that it 
is impossible for a man to be actually in perfect condition for a 
long consecutive period of time. Many riders, by careful and 
judicious training, maintain a wonderfully high average of condi- 
tion, but this falls short of their best form. Without doubt the 
better times accomplished in running and cycling by ' profes- 
sionals,' as compared with those of amateurs, are due to a very 
great extent to the fact that the professional never thinks of 
running or riding a serious race at frequent intervals. For 
each serious match in which he is engaged he undergoes care- 
ful preparation, preceded and followed by a period of complete 
relaxation. On the other hand a file of the sporting or cycling 
papers records the regular appearance, week after week, of 
m.any prominent riders, who are to be found every succeeding 
Saturday — with an occasional mid-week meeting thrown in — 
riding xtxy hard, in open races. These riders probably regard 
the races in which they engage as a sort of training ; but the 
cyclist who calmly and deliberately winds himself up for a 
great effort on some important occasion is likely to do better 
than one who is constantly racing. 



220 CYCLING. 

la Chapter VII. of this work will be found some notes 
on dress, and especially on the shoes to be adopted. A couple 
of pairs of soft and rather thick merino socks will be neces- 
sary, to be used alternately and very carefully dried by the 
attendant on each occasion ; a stout pair of plain white flannel 
drawers, of the same cut as the racing drawers, or a pair of 
elastic web pants of stouter make than those worn for racing ; 
and finally a jersey, or singlet. A cap may be worn and also a 
woollen neck wrap if the throat is very delicate, but this is not 
much to be recommended. The novice must at first depend 
very much upon himself, and it is an excellent thing for a 
young racing man to train himself for his first season under the 
mentorship of some candid friend. He thus, if he is at all 
observant, learns his own peculiarities, and is as a consequence 
able to tell his trainer, when he engages the services of such an 
assistant, what are his especial requirements. 

One piece of advice is important : always train with an 
object. Thus if the novice fancies he can stay, let him decide 
to go for the ten-mile championship of the club he belongs to, 
never mind even if the amateur champion himself belongs to 
it as well, go for it and it will be an object to train for ; if on 
the other hand the novice thinks that his forte lies in sprinting, 
let him enter for a club mile race, or an open contest for that 
distance on some safe track, and then train for that particular 
race. The first thing every trainer does when he takes a man in 
hand is to weigh him : the novice should get weighed and make 
a note of his exact weight, stripped. He should then consider 
whether he is fat or not ; if of spare habit he will not require, 
nor indeed endure, so much hard work as another who carries 
a superfluity of adipose tissue. He should begin work for the 
chosen event at least a month before it is fixed to take place. 
If the event he has pitched upon for his first venture is a one- 
mile open handicap, he should consider that he will have to 
possibly ride in two rounds and a final, and that he will have to 
ride all through the race to win. The track chosen for his 
work should be easy of access, safe, with easy corners ; and, if 



TRAINING. 231 

possible, he should secure a companion or two — who would in 
most cases be his fellow club-men — to assist him and ride with 
him. A stop-watch is also useful to gauge the progress. Of 
course he has done some road riding and is in sufficient rough 
form for that work. Should it be possible for him to visit the 
track twice a day, he should after breakfast take a sharp walk 
for half an hour or so, not too heavily clad, and then returning 
home or to his office rest quietly, attending to business or other 
cares until 11.30 or 12 o'clock, when he should visit the track 
and take half-an-hour's steady work at half speed. Rattling 
along at a smart pace, but carefully refraining from spurting, 
a healthy perspiration will be induced, and the pace may be 
slightly accelerated for the last mile. As soon as the half- 
hour has expired, let the rider dismount and, without loitering, 
go straight into the dressing-room and sit in a corner out of 
the draught, put a towel round his neck and remain quiet. 
In a few moments a profuse perspiration will follow, which 
should be encouraged by a gentle friction with a towel folded 
over the hand, whilst if an attendant is present he may, by 
more vigorous rubbing, set up a glow over the whole surface 
of the body. A good many attendants hurry the ' rubbing 
down ' process, especially those who have a number of men to 
look after, and thus defeat the very object they are desired 
to accomplish. In nearly every case under these conditions 
there is a second flow of perspiration after the man has been 
completely dried ; when this has been removed, and not till 
then, the rider may guard against cold by taking a showerbath 
of cold water, an appliance which should be found in every 
training dressing-room. This closes the pores of the skin and 
precludes the possibility of catching cold ; the rider should 
then dress, preferably in flannel, at least with some thin flannel 
garment next the skin, and go about his business, dining about 
2 o'clock. In the evening he should revisit the track between 
5 and 7 P.M., according to the season, for the real work of the 
day. This in the case of a short race will consist of ' short ' 
work with a view to the improvement and knowledge of pace 



222 CYCLING. 

necessary for a one-mile race. A second set of flannels should 
be put on, and the rider now more especially needs the services 
of his friends to clock, or ride with him. His work should 
consist of quarter-mile spurts, with an occasional half-mile 
spin, and perhaps once a week a regular mile trial against 
the watch. A ' pacemaker ' is of the very greatest service at 
this juncture, and on most of our tracks, especially in London, 
there are generally at hand amateur riders who will so far 
assist a novice, if he asks them, as to give him a lead and even 
some valuable hints. In doing his work the rider should be 
very careful to note the following points and see that he is 
carrying them out : — 

(i) Always to look ivherehe is goiiig. — This is very essential, 
especially for a man who trains much alone, as such riders often 
get unconsciously into a trick of guiding themselves by the edge 
of the track, and thus in actual competition may run into a man 
before they can avoid it. 

(2) Always sit straight. — When a man is riding on a small 
track, or on a path with bad corners, he often picks up a trick 
of sitting all on one side, and thus ' throws ' his outside knee 
very awkwardly. It is essential that a beginner should think 
of it when at work. The saddle should, of course, be set quite 
straight. 

(3) Pedal evenly and use both legs. — Those who have no 
practical experience will hardly believe how often a rider 
' favours ' one leg more than the other. A blister, a strain, or 
a bruise will often start it, and it is only when an experienced 
rider, who has been ' hanging on ' behind the other man, notices 
and mentions it that the victim becomes alive to his defect. A 
bad or incomplete ankle action with one leg is often the cause, 
and therefore, when at his spurting work, the novice should be 
constantly watchful to keep up the same power with both legs. 

(4) Fedal straight. — This is also a point which must be 
watched. Very often a rider pedals beautifully on the road, 
but throws his knees very awkwardly out or in when on the 
path. This fault is often traceable to the difference in the width 



TRAINING, 223 

of the tread of his roadster and racer machines, or to an uncon- 
scious sympathy between the arms and legs, the former Hmbs 
being often bent outwardly when leaning forward in the grass- 
hopper style. The novice, therefore, should watch his knees 
in the manner suggested in our chapter on learning to ride, the 
action in each case being exactly similar. 

(5) Keep the foot straight. — This is usually effected by me- 
chanical means. The wriggling action of the foot is often 
caused by a crooked crank, or pedal pin, and in any case it 
must be corrected. The racing shoes often tell the tale by the 
slots in which the pedals fit being found worn to unequal 
depths on either side ; and the rider will find that this denotes 
a bad foot-action, which must be carefully corrected ere he can 
hope to do good work. 

(6) Hold the handles 7iaturally. — If the rider can race 
nearly upright, he may hold his handles either way — ' over ' or 
' under ' ; but, if he rides ' grasshopper ' fashion, he must hold 
them 'under.' If anyone will put his hands in the position 
described, about twenty-six inches apart, on the edge of a table, 
and then lean forward in the ' grasshopper ' style, he will dis- 
cover that, awkward as it looks, it fully opens the chest and 
permits full play to the lungs, whilst the position allows of a 
very nice adjustment of the weight. 

(7) Don't wobble the shoulders. — Some men seem to think 
that pace is developed by moving the shoulders as if they 
were throwing all their bodily weight on the pedals. This is a 
very grave error. Without too rigidly setting the muscles of the 
trunk, the shoulders should be kept comparatively steady. This 
will assist very materially in keeping the machine straight. A 
very little up and down movement may be allowable, but beyond 
this nothing of the sort should be permitted. 

(8) Hold the body still and sit dozen. — A great many riders 
get up off the saddle when spurting. This is a serious fault ; it 
unsteadies the steering and diminishes the available power. 
The arms should assist in keeping the body steady, and the 
saddle should touch always. A very slight grip of the peak of 



224 CYCLING. 

the saddle between the legs will be found of notable assistance 
in steering round awkward corners. 

(9) Don't shake the head. — Some flyers of note do wonderful 
things with their heads when spurting. It is hardly possible 
for the rider to watch his opponents and judge his course when 
his head is in constant motion. The head, in the 'grass- 
hopper ' style of riding, should be thrown back, the face to the 
front, almost in the position of that of a swimmer ; it should be 
held still right over the driving wheel, with the eyes directed 
well forward. Some riders turn the head a httle to one side, so 
as to listen for the opponent behind them ; and this may be 
done, if the above caution is carried out. But in this case, in 
practice, the rider should turn his head away from the inside of 
the path, and should stop the ear which is directed forward 
with cotton wool, as the wind blowing in often sets up a cold. 
Owing to this fact a large number of well-known riders are a 
httle deaf in one ear. 

Always supposing that the tiro has given a fair amount of 
time to acquiring a good ankle action, the above hints will 
assist him in forming his style on a good model. It is essential 
that he should not get over the front of his wheel too much, or, 
the weight being taken off the rear wheel, the steering is sure 
to become erratic and the danger of a ' header ' is thereby 
vastly increased.^ For this reason hint No. 8 should always be 
kept in view. Bearing all these precepts in mind, the tiro 
should turn out for his evening work. After a quiet paddle for 
a lap or two, he should mentally resolve to spurt, say one lap ; 
and here it is necessary to point out that the mental training 
alluded to will have to begin. Having resolved to go the one 
lap, or even if very new at the game the half lap, the novice 
must ride it out however exhausted he may feel. This will not, 
perhaps, be possible the first time, owing to the insufficient 
development of the mental power, and the consequent inability 

1 The illustration on page 176, entitled ' Going it,' shows a rider placed so 
dose to the head o'" his machine that his hind wheel would be in the air 
before he had gone a hundred yards. 



TRAINING. 225 

to push the muscular powers to the utmost. But nevertheless, 
the rider should set his teeth and struggle on to the point on 
which he mentally decided before starting. Here he should 
ease up and ride round quietly until he has regained his breath. 
When he feels all right he may essay the same spin again, and 
do this half-a-dozen times or so during the half hour he remains 
on the path. He should then finish up with an easy pace mile 
or so, and retiring into the dressing-room, follow out with equal 
exactitude and care the proceedings of the mornmg. After 
each of these exercises, the rider, or preferably his attendant, 
should rub the legs, especially the front of the shins and the 
calves, with his bare hand, the rider relaxing the tension of the 
muscles whilst this process is going on. This assists the muscle 
in throwing off the fat which may lie in its tissues, and also 
strengthens it by aiding the flow of the blood through the 
vessels. This hand rubbing is the secret of training success, 
and the attendant who gives most time to this portion of the 
work when his charge has got rid of superfluous flesh will 
assuredly turn out better men than the trainer who shirks the 
necessarily irksome task. It may be well here to insert a 
caution against too much faith in the times made in the early 
stages of the work. Many a novice has been disappointed 
to find that after a week's hard work, he is going decidedly 
slower than he went in his half-trained state. This of course is 
very natural ; he has exhausted and used up his rough muscular 
power, and sufficient time has not elapsed to allow of its 
natural replacement by the development and training of his 
powers for the special work contemplated. But although he is 
momentarily a worse man than he was, yet very shortly nature 
will respond to the call and supply him with muscles, or rather 
muscular developments, which will fully atone for his disappoint- 
ments. Should the rider's trainer or friend find the fnne com- 
pare badly with earlier efforts, he will do well to put the 
watch in his pocket and make an excuse to the rider, or else 
explain to him the why and wherefore, and encourage him 
to keep on, carefully watching his progress until the sudden 

Q 



226 CYCLING. 

improvement of the times points to the fact that the muscles 
are becoming accustomed to the task. During all this period 
our typical novice must be studying himself and trying to reason 
out the various surroundings of the exercise. He must be 
continually thinking and making little changes and alterations 
such as he may fancy will suit him. Time and trouble should 
never be grudged when devoted to getting the racer exactly 
right, and it is only those who take an infinity of trouble to have 
everything comfortable that can hope to succeed. A thousand 
and one aches and pains will probably trouble the tiro, but 
unless he feels very sick and faint after his work, or detects any 
sensation of lung trouble, he need not go to a medical man ; 
and, as we have said before, if he does experience such sen- 
sations he should go to some doctor who has had experience 
of athletics and athletes. Pains in the calf of the leg, the thigh, 
or the back, due to straining or cramp, will mostly give way 
before easy work, Elhman's Embrocation or ' Thilum,' whilst a 
good hand-rubbing will ease the stiffness of the limbs in the 
earlier stages ; and all this time, as suggested above, the beginner 
must be studying and gauging his own powers, and storing up 
information to aid his judgment when the actual contest arrives. 
A very good rule for a beginner to carry out (and for a 
veteran, too, for the matter of that) is to try seriously to succeed 
in the special point in which he fancies himself deficient; thus, 
if a rider fancies he cannot stay, let him try a distance spin 
merely for his own instruction. If he thinks he cannot spurt, 
let him essay spurting; if he cannot negotiate corners, he should 
go and train for a little while on a track with bad ones; whether 
the plan is successful or not the rider will begin to know all his 
own points. The period of efficiency depends of course upon 
the recovery of the muscles from the first strains of the novel 
exercise, and this will be much influenced by the previous use 
to which they have been put. If they have been abnormally 
developed in any other direction, the time may be considerably 
lengthened ; for example, running or gymnastics will often 
develop muscle of no service in cycling, and a considerable 



TRAIXIXG. 227 

time may therefore elapse ere the Hmbs get fitted to the new 
work. Only one sport ' nicks ' with cycling, and that is fair toe 
and heel walking, doubtless owing to the strengthening of the 
legs generally, and the ankle work. Rowing, when the sliding 
seat has been used, makes the legs powerful enough for cycling, 
but very slow, whilst the development of the upper pectoral 
muscles by gymnastics is sometimes so great as to cause them 
when set to interfere with the rapid respirations of a spurting 
cyclist, an event which does not noticeably occur in the inter- 
mittent, and above all, slower exertions of the gymnasium, but 
which asserts itself somewhat emphatically when the gymnast 
on the bicycle sets his chest muscles, by gripping his handles in 
the fierce rush of a final spurt; we remember at least one rider 
whose apparent 'softness' in a sharp finish was undoubtedly to 
be attributed to this cause. 




■■tn 



Es gingen drei Jiiger wohl fiuf die Birsch; 

Sie wollten erjagen den wtissen H'nsch.— Uhland. 



Q 2 



228 CYCLING. 



CHAPTER VII. 

DRESS. 

Exhilarating and enjoyable as is the sport of cycling, and 
nealthy as it has proved itself to be, its enjoyment and its 
health-giving qualities are wholly dependent upon one very im- 
portant point : a correct and suitable costume. It must not be 
forgotten that cycling is, after all, an athletic exercise, that it 
causes perspiration when ardently followed out, and for that 
reason alone it requires its votaries to be properly costumed in 
a dress suitable and convenient for the work in hand. It may 
be well to say a few words on this question of appropriate 
attire, as a good many riders are even now doubtful about the 
propriety of donning a regular cycling dress. In the earlier 
days of the sport, a pedestrian or a rider in cycling garb was 
sufficiently a novelty to attract a good deal of annoying atten- 
tion in any town he might visit. But this is no longer the 
case, and a correctly dressed cyclist, more especially if he 
adopts the C. T. C. costume, is so common an object, that he 
passes without special notice. One reason for the protection 
which ladies undoubtedly find in the C. T. C. grey uniform lies 
in the fact that it is so little remarkable, and so closely re- 
sembles that ordinarily worn by the wife of the parson or 
doctor, and therefore the bucolic intelligence sets down the 
passing stranger in his mind as probably a friend or acquain- 
tance of the local lady. Every day the public outside the sport 
become more and more used to the sight of a correctly dressed 
cyclist, and the familiar grey dress of the lady rider, and the 



DRESS. 229 

knee breeches, stockings, and short jackets of the sterner sex, 
occasion no remark. 

That every rider who cycles, whatever his age, should wear 
a cycling costume appropriately cut needs no proof. The 
rider of a cycle who ventures out in an inappropriate costume 
is regarded as one who does not know the right thing to do 
when pursuing the sport, and proclaims himself as either an 
ignoramus or a novice. The cyclist therefore should seek to be 
comfortably and scientifically clad, making the mere ornamental 
question as it affects the costume subservient to the necessity 
of having a practically useful dress in which to ride. The 
essential points are few and simple ; they should be carefully 
studied by every cyclist who wishes to ride in comfort. 

1. The dress must be fully protective — that is to say, it must 
afford an even and adequate warmth all over the body, without 
unduly confining the action of the Umbs ; and there must not 
be too much of it. 

2. It must be of some very sound and serviceable cloth, 
which can stand hard wear. Loosely woven cloth holds the dust ; 
so the material chosen should be a wiry and closely woven 
stuff of some medium colour, and the costume as a whole 
should be neat and quiet in appearance. 

A practical costume, meeting all the requirements of the 
rider, requires the experiences of many riders under varying 
conditions to bring it up to the point of practical perfection, and 
the ingenuity of cyclist after cyclist has been exercised on the 
many minor points which go to make it a complete and com- 
fortable whole. Not only must the outer garments be suitable 
to the work and its surroundings, but the under garments must 
correspond. This remark applies with peculiar force to the 
clothing worn by ladies. 

OUTER GARMENTS. 

These consist of the uniform, or cycling costume proper, 
viz., the coat or jacket, the waistcoat (if worn), the breeches or 
knickerbockers, the stockings, and the hat or helmet. No 



230 CYCLING. 

cheap material can withstand for any time the hard usage to 
which a cychng dress is of necessity subjected, and the truest 
economy is to pay a fair price for some tested material which 
experience has proved in every way suitable for the purpose. 

The solitary cyclist might spend his life and a small fortune 
trying and testing various goods which would be highly recom- 
mended to him as suitable for cycling, and the lady rider 
would probably find that any garment which the shopkeeper had 
in stock w^as pronounced to be eminently adapted for her pur- 
pose. Happily for cyclists generally, expert assistance has long 
since been called in, and materials suited to all classes of riders 
are now supplied. 

A cloth which par excellence finds acceptance amongst a 
large class of wheelmen is that sold by the Cyclists' Touring 
Club. It was originally decided upon by a jury of experts, 
who also happened fortunately to be cyclists. It is a West of 
England tweed, a very small check pattern in grey ; it is excellent 
in wear, does not show the dust, and will stand any amount of 
knocking about ; it will also wash, which is a great point, as a 
cyclist is apt occasionally to come in contact with oily parts 
of his machine. The C. T. C. cloth, as it is usually termed, 
cleans remarkably well. 

When braid is worn, it should be sewn on the inside of the 
seams : the primary object of braid was doubtless to strengthen 
the seams, and also to strengthen the garment generally. Flat 
bars of broad braid sewn inside, across the chest of a military or 
cycling uniform, are remarkably efficacious in preventing the 
jacket from stretching, and losing its shape. This fact was 
clearly proved by a well-known cyclist who had two jackets of 
the same material and shape made at the same time, one braided 
and the other plain ; the braided one, though decidedly shabby, 
still keeps its shape and is usable, but the plain jacket has long 
since been destroyed as shapeless and unwearable. Those, 
therefore, who wish tb get the greatest possible amount of wear 
out of a costume, will do well to have it braided, but in place 
of braiding it outside, which looks conspicuous, it should be 



1)7^ ESS. 231 

braided inside, the braid being run down the seams and across 
the breast to the buttonholes on the inside of the coat through- 
out. The jacket thus treated will be found to wear for a very 
long time, and it will in most cases retain its shape to the end, 
a point worth consideration by those whose means are limited. 
The material having been chosen, the make and shape must 
be decided upon ; and here again experience has laid down 
certain principles which have been esiablished by the slow 
process of discussion and trial. The result of these practical 
discussions has been the establishment of a few points as 
imperative rules for the comfort of the cyclist, and first and 
foremost stands the dictum : ' That every garment worn whilst 
cycling should be of flannel or woollen material, without any 
admixture of cotton or linen in any form.' The past experiences 
of many well-known and prominent riders in the early days 
of the sport taught them in the most emphatic manner, and 
sometimes with unpleasant emphasis, the imperative necessity 
of doing away with every atom of cotton or linen used in any 
one of the garments worn, as these materials when damp from 
perspiration or rain are found to strike very cold and chilly 
wherever they may be situated ; and this becomes more parti- 
cularly apparent should the rider sit about after a hard day's 
work, when he feels chilled to the bone, and in many cases 
catches a very severe cold, if nothing worse, whilst some very 
bad cases of inflammation of the kidneys have been traced 
directly to the wearing of a linen waistband in the knicker- 
bockers or trousers. As a number of elderly tricyclists will 
insist on riding in trousers, and will of course equally insist on 
riding in an old pair of ordinary nether garments, they often 
suffer as above described, and cychng is blamed for an illness 
which can be directly traced to the folly of the victim himself 
Sore throat is often to be traced to the linen band which so 
many tailors and shirtmakers will fit round the neck of a 
flannel shirt, whilst there is often in addition a little square of 
linen marked vrith the maker's name and address, which, when 
it is damp, can be readily felt, especially if the wind blows up 



232 CYCLING. 

coldly after a long run as evening falls. Throughout the whole 
list of garments used by cydists the same fault extends, the 
merino or woollen vest has a strip of linen down the front right 
over the throat, and so placed as to be likely to produce the very 
worst results ; the drawers, if worn, have a linen waistband and 
a linen front, the knee-breeches or knickerbockers are lined 
round the knees and at the waist with Itahan cloth or some other 
*cold' material; the coat is strengthened with a linen stifTener 
wherever necessar)^, and the arms are lined with Imen or some 
kindred material. The waistcoat is backed with cotton and 
lined with cotton, and is altogether about as bad as it can be in 
this respect, seeing that the cold-giving material is stretched 
over the loins and round the stomach. The flannel shirt, espe- 
cially of the non-shrinkable and fancy class, contains a large 
proportion of cotton, and the result is that the rider after a long 
run is cold, clammy and chilly, loses his appetite instead of 
improving it, feels quite out of sorts, and may consider himself 
lucky if, in addition to all these discomforts, he does not get a 
heavy cold, or, w^orse still, a local chill. More especially is this 
likely to occur if the victim has a few hours of night riding at 
the finish of his day's work, when his only chance is to button 
his coat right up to the neck and keep moving until the very 
end of the trip ; standing about, or trying to get warm by the 
fire, will only add to the chances of illness. On the other hand, 
the rider clothed from head to foot in complete flannel, or pure 
woollen garments, is comparatively safe. He may get wet 
through half-a-dozen times, and although the situation is in no 
wise comfortable, it is at any rate the next best thing to being 
comfortable, viz. it is safe ; and every rider, whatever his age, 
svho values his health and wishes to avoid the very worst results 
that can follow from cycling, will do well to see that this all- 
wool programme is fully carried out. Some young or inexpe- 
rienced cyclists will scoff at the above views, but experienced 
riders will simply advise them to wait until two or three weeks on 
a sick bed shall have convinced them of the folly of casting 
aside as useless the experiences of their predecessors. 



DI^ESS. 233 

In the earlier days of cycling it was difficult to procure all 
the articles which a modern practical tourist looks upon as 
actual necessaries of the most ordinary type ; but now, a 
number of well-known firms specially connected with the cycling 
trade are laying themselves out to meet the requirements of 
the touring riders and to supply guaranteed pure woollen goods 
and materials for the use of the riding public, who are thus 
spared the trouble of looking for them, and the suffering of 
the pioneers has not been without fruit. Riders desirous of 
availing themselves of the resources of civilisation in this 
direction will therefore have no difficulty in getting the necessary 
garments when contemplating a tour. It is needless to add 
that these remarks apply with even added force to the clothing 
required by lady riders, who are at any rate quite as liable as 
men to chills and other evils, and should of course take equal 
precautions. 

The ' body garment,' the coat or jacket, is the first item to 
be considered, and there are plenty of designs and shapes to 
choose from. A jacket for bicycling should not be too long, 
but when the rider is seated upon the machine it should just 
reach below the saddle. For tricycling, and especially in the 
case of elderly riders who use an ordinary pattern front steerer, 
the jacket may be cut a little longer. The usual type, and 
one most popular with the general run of riders, may be de- 
scribed as follows : it should be single breasted, buttoning up 
with not too many buttons, it should be cut pretty high up 
round the throat, and fitted with a good wide lay-down collar, 
which should be finished in front with a small lappel, so arranged 
that when the collar is turned up the lappel may button across 
the throat. If a triangular ' tab ' which can be buttoned across 
the opening of the turned-up collar be also fitted, and its lower 
corner hooked or buttoned over the lappel itself, it will be found 
a very complete protection for the throat and neck. For bicy- 
cling the bottom of the front of the jacket should be cut away 
in two curves, so as not to rub against the head and get oily, and 
the same plan should be adopted in costumes for tricyclists who 



234 CYCLIAG. 

ride Humber pattern machines. For the other class of tricyclists 
the front may be left square as affording more protection, especi- 
ally in the case of rain. Two pockets on either side, in front 
of the hips, and a breast pocket, are ample provision in this 
direction, but a watch pocket will be found a convenient ad- 
dition, and should be put very high up on the left-hand side, • 
when, if it has been properly arranged so as to come just below 
the projection of the collar bone in front, the watch \\\\\ lie 
safely and will not disturb the set of the coat. The arms 
should be rather looser than ordinary, and the armholes cut 
a trifle larger to allow for extra garments at night and in the 
winter, and also to facilitate the putting on of the jacket over 
woollen underclothing. This enlargement should be very 
slight, not more than one inch at the most, but in actual prac- 
tice this makes all the difference between comfort and discom- 
fort. The sleeves should not be too long, or they will worry 
the rider very much, especially in case they get wet with rain or 
perspiration, and the cuff's should be fitted with a couple of 
buttons so that they may be opened and turned back in hot 
weather. An ordinary link button is a capital thing to carry 
when on a tour, as with its aid the coat can be unbuttoned and 
then just linked across the chest to prevent its flying about, 
and at the same time there will be plenty of freedom and fresh 
air for the chest and arms. For winter use the coat may be 
lined throughout with thin sound flannel, but in the summer 
this will be found oppressive unless very little underclothing is 
worn. For a summer jacket the very smallest amount of lining 
and stiffening, which should invariably be all of woollen material, 
should be used. The armholes, button-holes, and the backs 
of the buttons, together with the collar, are practically the only 
points which will require lining, and a summer coat cut as 
we have suggested has the additional advantage of being quite 
as serviceable in winter, as owing to the slightly enlarged sleeves 
a considerable addition can be made to the underclothing with- 
out any inconvenience being felt when the coat is put on. This 
type of jacket may therefore be considered the main stay of a 



DIvESS. 235 

cycling uniform, and will in most cases be found the very best 
style which can be adopted. 

Next in order of merit as a useful garment for ordinary wear 
comes the ' Norfolk jacket.' This shape is well known to most 
sportsmen ; it is light and easy, and commends itself par- 
ticularly to those who are inclined to be stout. The same 
rules, as far as cut and make go, will apply to this jacket ; it 
should be made to fit loosely, and the belt should be fixed to 
the jacket above the hips ; the pockets are usually put in the 
breast folds, and ^Yhen the Norfolk jacket is made in C. T. C. 
cloth it looks exceedingly well. It is particularly suitable for 
couples upon sociables and tandems, as it is a type of jacket 
which suits many ladies excellently, and the couple being in 
the same cut of jacket undoubtedly adds to the neatness of 
the turn out. The arrangements as to the collar, &:c., will be 
the same as in the case of the ordinary round jacket. Another 
type much affected in some quarters is the military collar, on 
one or other of these jackets. In this case the jacket buttons 
or hooks right up to the throat, and is finished off with an up- 
standing collar all round the neck. This looks neat and may 
suit some people, but in general it confines the throat too much 
and prevents the air circulating around the neck, more espe- 
cially round the nape of the neck, and this is liable to cause 
sunstroke and headache. In any case it must fit closely to look 
well, and if it fits so it is bound to be stuffy and unsatisfactory, 
and is not therefore to be recommended. Some of the newest 
cycling jackets now in the market are woven or knitted, and 
they are very comfortable, but in some cases lose their shape 
rapidly. Some of the webbing jackets, however, withstood the 
severest tests, and they are very good for touring work, as they 
prevent the wearer from catching cold, and yet are by no means 
so stuffy as thick cloth garments. For winter use a jacket 
which comes right across the chest and is buttoned under the 
left arm and across the top of the left shoulder may be recom- 
mended. This construction effectually prevents the wind from 
blowing in, whilst the even distribution of warmth all over the 



2.36 CYCLING. 

body, without an undue thickness in one place, makes it very 
effective in warding off colds and chills. For winter riding and 
night work it has proved practically useful. Of the same class 
is the * Weather Defiance ' made by the Sanitary Woollen Com- 
pany of Fore Street, though the double thickness over the chest 
seems scarcely necessary in a garment made like this one, of 
a very thick camel's-hair rug-hke material. This also protects 
the throat, and is a most serviceable garment for those who go 
in for much night riding, which is always attended with some 
danger, as the wind is often very chilly even in the middle of 
summer. The ' Weather Defiance ' is very well made and very 
light, whilst at the same time it is warm and porous, allowing 
the free escape of the perspiration. All the garments mentioned 
are specialities which find favour with various riders, but the 
general choice for all-round use will be either the ordinary 
round jacket or the Norfolk jacket. The waistcoat is a garment 
not much worn by active cyclists, although the tourist will in 
many cases find it a most useful addition to his outfit. There is 
nothing special about the waistcoat except that it should be cut 
high, in fact the square clerical cut may be best adopted. The 
back and lining of such a waistcoat should always be of flannel 
and need not be so heavy as it is ordinarily made. A combina- 
tion garment has been suggested combining the waistcoat and 
jacket, by having an all-cloth waistcoat fitted with arms and cut 
a trifle longer than usual, and then putting on over it a sleeve- 
less coat, which, when the rider gets out into the country, could 
be taken off and easily packed away. The idea seems practical, 
and might be adopted. 

The nether garments may be either knickerbockers, knee- 
breeches, or trousers ; the latter are the least suitable, as having 
no support at the knee they are sure to slip downwards, and drag 
if the rider assumes the only proper position, viz. the vertical, 
whilst any scheme for looping them up or fixing them, though 
it may effect its object so far as to allow the rider to use the 
machine without fear of accident, invariably makes them look 
awkward and uncomfortable. The gaiters adopted by the 



D/^ESS. 237 

C. T. C have their advocates, but they are hotter than stockings, 
and if a rider wears gaiters there seems no good reason why 
he could not as well wear stockings. This brings the matter 
to the much-vexed question, knee-breeches or knickerbockers ? 
and there is much to say on both sides. Riders with 
abnormal calves will do well to tone them down with wide and 
somewhat baggy knickerbockers, but the youth with attenuated 
limbs should encase them in pretty closely fitting knee-breeches. 
In general the bicyclist will be found to adopt the tighter knee- 
breeches, whilst the tricyclist will affect the loose knicker- 
bockers. The reason is obvious, as a fold of loose cloth has 
been known before now to throw a bicyclist, whilst the tricyclist 
is quite safe from any such accident. 

Knee-breeches require careful making ; they must fit without 
being tight, and they must not grip the limb at any time during 
the action. When a rider goes to his own tailor for knee- 
breeches, it very frequently happens that they are very nice as 
long as the rider only walks in them, but the moment he begins 
to ride he finds them tight, stiff, and awkward. For this reason 
it is always best to go for these special garments to some firm 
which thoroughly understands the requirements of the cyclist 
in the matter of freedom in the muscular action. Breeches 
should never be tight round the knee, a remark which apphes 
to all classes of leg gear, but they should just fit and no more 
at that point, as if they are accurately adjusted they will uphold 
the stockings without the necessity of garters, a somewhat 
valuable point, and one which should be carefully attended to. 
Knee-breeches should be lined where required with thin flannel, 
and the stiffening which may be necessary should be effected 
with all-wool stiffener in place of the linen material which is so 
usually used now. A strap and buckle should not be necessary, 
as a wise cyclist will invariably wear braces (of which more 
anon). Knickerbockers require careful cutting to look well, 
and the same remarks apply to them as to knee-breeches. 
Flannel hnings should be used throughout, and the garments 
should be very carefully fitted, and not cut too high. They are 



238 CYCLING, 

best fastened with a cloth strap and buckle at the knee, which 
should not be drawn too tight ; they should be made with a 
view to the position assumed by the rider when on his machine. 

Knitted or webbing breeches are very suitable for work of 
all kinds, though in the winter they may require supplementing 
with some sort of underwear ; they are cool, and though rain 
goes through them at once, it gets out of them with equal 
rapidity, as they dry very fast indeed. They should be all lined 
with flannel around the waist, and should be worn with braces. 
Double seating for cloth breeches was at one time much insisted 
on by riders, but it is not now quite so popular, as the edges of 
the sewing have been found to give rise to blisters, and the 
great thickness is also clumsy and awkward. Single seats are 
therefore now most popular, though in the case of the webbing 
garments above alluded to, the seat is strengthened by the run- 
ning of an extra thread through the stuff at this point, which 
notably strengthens it. Washleather seats were also once in 
great favour, but they have not proved on the whole satisfac- 
tory. When sewn into ordinary breeches the leather soon 
stretched and then went into rucks and folds which hardened, 
and, as a natural consequence, produced great discomfort. 
The only practical way in which the washleather seat can be 
successfully used is to have two or more, made entirely inde- 
pendent of the breeches they are to be used in, and then 
after getting them washed and pulled into shape, having 
them either stitched in, so as to be easily removable, or else 
buttoned in, to some permanently fixed buttons. In any case 
it is a question whether the game is worth the candle, as a 
carefully finished pair of breeches, with the seam neatly sewn 
down, and if necessary rubbed over with a bit of soap at first, 
will soon become quite comfortable. 

In all cases the breeches should be worn well braced up, so 
as not to hang in a loose and baggy manner, which may cause 
an accident, especially to a bicyclist, as a fold of the loose gar- 
ment will catch upon the back of the saddle and cause the 
rider to fall when trying to mount. On the ether hand, too 



DRESS. 239 

tight bracing up will cause endless discomfort, and induce the 
cychst to stoop in an awkward and constrained position. 

Pockets in the breeches are not much recommended, but if 
they are adopted they are best placed high up in front, close 
under the brace buttons, and they should not be too large. A 
side-seam pocket is liable to gape when the rider is mounted, 
and unless made very deep, and consequently clumsy to get at, 
the articles contained in it are liable to be lost. If the rider 
wears a loosely cut jacket, say a Norfolk jacket, a breeches 
pocket on the back of the hips is a very good addition ; this 
should be moderate in dimensions, the opening being diagonal, 
so as to admit of the easy insertion of the hand, and it should 
have a button to fasten it If there be no watch pocket in the 
jacket, it can be very comfortably added to the breeches, put 
close up to one of the brace buttons, and having a hole in front 
of the pocket to pass the chain through. 

There are several very dangerous ideas which some practical 
riders have adopted ; thus one rider has a long pocket just in- 
side the opening of his jacket in which he carries an adjustable 
spanner. "Were he to fall heavily on his chest, the chances 
are that this spanner would break one of his ribs, or inflict other 
serious injuries. The same remark applies to those riders who 
carry a bell in their breast pocket when not in use. All jacket 
pockets wherever placed should have flaps fitted, as in the case 
of wet the flap will protect the contents of the pocket for a con- 
siderable time; in the case of the breast pocket, it is sometimes 
an excellent plan to have a small flat black button to fasten it 
with. An inner pocket can be made in fully lined garments in- 
side the right breast to take the C. T. C. ticket, but overloading 
a suit with pockets inevitably spoils its look, and eventually 
its shape, so it should be avoided as far as possible. 

Possibly it may not strike a casual observer that there could 
be much variety in the matter of stockings, but the ingenuity of 
hosiery manufacturers has supplied the cycling world with a 
pretty extensive choice in this important item. Well- fitting leg 
gear is a si?ie qua 71071 in the outfit of a rider. The most usual 



240 CYCLING. 

error into which cyclists, as well as manufacturers, fall, is the 
wearing or making of too long stockings. Thus stockings 
reaching half-way up the thigh have been offered as suitable 
for cycling, whereas the less stocking a rider can wear with 
comfort and decency the better, always supposing that the 
breeches or knickerbockers are well cut, and reach, as they 
should do, well below the knee. Some of the more elabo- 
rate double-kneed arrangements are hot, heavy, clumsy, and 
decidedly uncomfortable, whilst they seriously interfere with 
the free action of the knee-joints, and should be avoided. If 
adequate arrangements are made for holding the stocking up, 
the less strained it is the better, so long as it does not fall into 
creases or folds. For all round wear an ordinary fairly stout 
ribbed stocking will be found the best. 

In the case of new stockings, put on for the first time, it is 
an excellent plan to soap the joints and edges carefully with a 
piece of common yellow soap, as this will prevent the stocking 
from rubbing the foot in any part, and abrading the skin. 
Attention to this little point will often save a rider hours of 
painful work. In the summer time, and for short runs, a much 
thinner stocking may be worn. Thread stockings, to say the 
least of it, are unwise. The tourist should therefore adhere 
rigidly to wool, and wear fairly stout stockings of that material. 

The great question with all stocking wearers at all times has 
been how to hold them up, as although a new pair if well made 
will cling to the limb, and look smooth and neat, yet as soon 
as they get a little worn and loose they will slip down and look 
very bad indeed. 

The various slings and kindred arrangements are by no 
means suitable for the use of cyclists, as they are arranged for 
the upright position of a man when standing, and are not a 
success when used by a rider in active work; moreover, most of 
them merely transfer the drag from the knee to the waist or 
shoulder, and they are therefore to be avoided. The constant 
motion, too, causes the metal clips or fastenings to rub the 
skin, thus setting up an annoying soreness, and in some cases 



VJ^ESS. 241 

causing worse troubles. The garter, though by no means 
wholly satisfactory, seems to be the only practical plan. Non- 
elastic garters should in no case be worn. The slight drag of 
the stocking causes the hard and unyielding garter to press 
tightly upon the muscles and vessels at the top of the calf, and 
may give rise to varicose veins. Some of the spiral wire arrange- 
ments, if carefully adjusted so as to be exactly the right length 
and no less, are very good, as the slight gaps between the wires 
permit circulation, and are more likely, when in action, to 
shift a little, so as to alter the points upon which the pressure 
comes. The most frequent error in using these garters is 
having them much too tight, and this should be most carefully 
avoided. The broad flat elastic garter made for ladies' use is 
fairly good, but the buckle or latching arrangement is alto- 
gether too elaborate, and might possibly cause a severe injury 
if driven into the leg, in the event of a fall. After a careful 
testing of every contrivance in the market, it is probable that 
the practical cyclist will eventually come back to the original 
plan of a plain broad elastic garter, which, if carefully made, 
will be found the most comfortable and serviceable. 

Double heels and toes are a mistake in cycling stockings, 
and in fact in stockings used in any athletic sport, as the 
double portions have a very marked tendency to stretch un- 
equally, with the obvious result that they go into rucks and 
creases, and cause endless trouble. There should be little or 
no actual friction, that is if a well-fitting shoe be worn, properly 
laced up over a well-fitting stocking. The main idea in all sorts 
of cycling work is to allow the foot plenty of play, and to keep 
it as cool as possible. 

The next point to be considered in the outer garments is 
the head gear, and here again the individual fancies of the rider 
must be consulted. The hat or cap most identified with cycling 
is that most unpractical and unsuitable of head gears, the so- 
called polo cap, a litde circular cloth saucer which is of literally 
no service at all. The wideawake, deer-stalker, and others o[ 
this class will be found of more general service than any other. 

R 



242 CYCLING. 

A good wide brim is an essential in a cycling hat, aixd it should 
also be light, well ventilated, and durable. If a felt be chosen, 
it should be a soft one, of a colour either matching the coat 
worn, or very distinct from it. Some of the lighter greys and 
browns are very suitable for summer touring. They should 
have a moderately high crown, which should be fully ventilated 
by means of a number of metal-edged eyelet holes, and a hat 
guard is a necessity, as if the hat is crammed on tight, when the 
wind is blowing it is almost certain to cause headache and 
similar troubles. The brim should be wide, but not too wide. 
It should be just stiff enough to retain its shape against an 
ordinary breeze, as to have one's hat brim flapping over one's 
eyes, perhaps when half-way down a hill, or at any other 
similarly awkward time, is troublesome or even dangerous. 
For winter riding a plain black felt wideawake may be recom- 
mended. A high-crowned hard felt affords a very great pro- 
tection from the rays of the sun, though it is hardly so useful 
m wet weather, and catches the dust. The helmet is perhaps 
the very best head gear for touring work in all weathers. In 
this alone will be found those proper provisions for complete 
ventilation which are usually so conspicuous by their absence 
in ordinary hats and caps, whilst the protection afforded to the 
nape of the neck, and the freely ventilated space between the 
top of the head and the top of the helmet are all of the greatest 
value to the rider who goes a-cyclihg in the hot sun of summer. 
The practical tourist need look no further for a head dress 
than the C. T. C. helmet of the hard pattern. The soft type of 
C. T. C. helmet, which is simply a small cap with peaks before 
and behind, is by no means to be recommended. The ventila- 
tion, owing to its close fit, is practically nil, and the protection 
it affords is very limited. There are, of course, other designs 
besides that sold to its members by the C. T. C. The Canonbury 
Cycling Club have had made for them a very good shape 
rather different from the C. T. C. The Canonbury helmet is 
considerably wider and lower in the crown, and it is also lighter 
in weight. The Stanley C. C. have also a very good type of 



DJ^ESS 243 

helmet. The best of these are made upon cork bases and are 
hght, but their durability is open to question. Except in the 
hottest weather the neat, light and comfortable cricket cap may 
be worn with safety and comfort, and its use is daily becoming 
more universal. The cap should be of flannel, unlined, and 
with a stiff peak also of flannel, which may be stiffened with a 
piece of leather not too thick. This cap has many points to 
recommend it for ordinary wear (except in the hottest part of 
the summer) ; it is very light, fully ventilated, seeing that it is 
of thin and very open flannel, without lining. The peak affords 
protection to the eyes, and can be turned round to shade the 
back of the neck, whilst it can never be lost, seeing that it can 
be rolled up and put in the pocket with ease. 

The great question of boots v. shoes was for a long time 
debated, but time which settles all things has most decidedly 
settled this question in favour of shoes. At one time a theory 
was strongly advanced that it was necessary to wear boots to 
support the ankle, and the sport of skating was adduced as 
evidence of the necessity of that support being given. It did 
not occur to the advocates of the boot side of the ars^ument 
that on a cycle the bodily weight of the individual was carried 
by the machine, and that the muscles which carried the body 
in ordinary case were, whether strong or weak, available for 
the support of the ankles and the propulsion of the machine ; 
added to which the tendency of the pedalling was to keep the 
foot and ankle straight, and the theory of support for the ankle 
was thus absolutely negatived by facts. It is interesting when 
considering this fact to remember that medical men are now 
prescribing tricycle exercise for children who suffer from weak 
joints, either at the knee or ankle, as they find that as the weight 
of the body is not thrown upon the joints, the exercise they thus 
obtain tends to gradually strengthen them. The theory that 
weak joints require support for cycling work is consequently 
untenable, and those who are victims of this evil will do well to 
undergo a short course of tricycle or bicycle exercise, which 
will strengthen the muscles and joints without the otherwise 



244 CYCLING. 

unavoidable strain of the bodily Nveight upon the tender 
parts. 

Foot gear, however, to return from this digression, becomes 
simply a question as to what shoes shall be worn, and it will be 
w^ell to consider the uses to which the foot is put. It is an 
absolute necessity that the foot should be {yqq to extend itself 
and to carry out untrammelled all the varied actions described 
in the foregoing chapters on ankle action and pedalling 
generally. To secure this desideratum the shoe must be light, 
flexible, and easy. The sole, too, must be of sufficient thick- 
ness to preserve the bottom of the foot from feeling the bars of 
the pedals, and should be as stiff as possible, as in this case the 
rider practically gets the whole surface of the sole whereon 
to apply his power, instead of having to push at two narrow 
bars of iron. The sole of the shoe may with advantage have a 
piece of steel run up the middle, that is the middle of the 
front sole from the waist to the toe, not from the waist to the 
heel. The piece of steel should be flat and broad, and it will be 
found of the very greatest assistance in keeping the sole flat, 
and thus precluding in most cases the possibility of cramp in 
the toe joints, especially in that of the great toe. The rider 
should be very careful to see that the shoemaker uses a flat 
piece of steel, as many shoemakers, to save themselves trouble, 
will use a bent waist spring which invariably bends the sole very 
awkwardly in time. 

This stout sole is the mainstay of a sound shoe ; the toe 
should be made rather wide, the ' uppers ' should be cut rather 
high up over the instep, and the grip of the shoe, whereby it is 
retained on the foot, should be arranged to come just round 
the waist of the foot, about three or four fingers broad at the 
most. The waist of the shoe itself should be as light and 
flexible as possible, as light as a running-pump. Shoemakers 
generally have a strong objection to making so light a waist 
behind so comparatively heavy a front sole, but the rider who 
wants to be well shod should insist upon this part of the plan 
being fully carried out. The whole of the back part of the shoe 



ri^Ess. 245 

may be as light as possible, the upper-heel, however, being 
stiffened; whilst on to the pump- like heel of the shoe may be 
affixed one thickness of stoutish sole leather in the shape of a 
broad flat heel, so as to protect that part of the foot from injury 
in case of a dismount on rough ground. For touring and 
men's wear, hooks all up the front are the best method of lacing 
the shoe, as the laces are thus kept from pressing on the 
delicate bones and muscles of the front of the foot. It is also 
a good plan to have the shoes to open a good way down, as 
by adopting this fashion the shoe can be easily and comfort- 
ably put on even when wet, and can be' wiped out and quickly 
dried. This is another of those minor points the value of which 
will only be appreciated after a tour of some duration. The 
shoe which meets these various points has been devised after 
lengthy experience and many experiments on the part of a 
well-known cyclist, and it is made by Messrs. Goy, of 2 Praed 
Street, under the title of the ' Perfecta Shoe.' It is, as has been 
pointed out before, always advisable to go for these specialities 
to some maker who is acquainted practically with the reasons 
which guide their construction, as in many cases the maker 
who is not so informed is very obstinate in his ideas and refuses 
to make the necessary changes in his usual methods. One point, 
for example, which has been alluded to above, may be cited ; 
many ordinary shoemakers steadily refuse to make a light 
running-shoe waist to a shoe with a stout sole, w^hilst the effort 
to make the shoe look well by having it narrow in the toe is 
fatal to a good cycling foot-gear, which should be especially 
broad and roomy at that point to allow of the natural play of 
the foot. There are many other very good patterns of shoe all 
of which possess especial points to recommend them to riders, 
whilst there are as many more w^hich show no practical ac- 
quaintance with their wants. Thus a shoe very much cut out, 
so as to make it as light and open as possible, would perhaps be 
cool and comfortable once in a way, but for riding over dusty 
or muddy roads, and more especially if worn w^hen many hills 
had to be walked, it would prove a terrible drawback, owing to 



246 CYCLING. 

the easy access provided for grit and dust, which is fatal to com- 
fort when it gets into the stockings, from which it is not easily 
dislodged. 

Thus far the cuter garments suitable for men, the larger 
section of cyclists, have been described ; but before passing to the 
next section it will be well to say a few words as to ladies' dress 
for cycling purposes; and it is also advisable to note that in the 
main the divergence between the appropriate cychng costume 
of the two sexes is confined solely to the outer garments, as 
the under-wear is of necessity very similar in either case, ladies 
having taken advantage of the experiences gained by their 
husbands and brothers, and adopted with but slight modification 
the underclothing which they have found most suitable for 
wear whilst indulging in the sport. A well-designed tricycle 
costume will allow of the greatest freedom of action, and thus 
enable its wearer to ride a machine without the troublesome and 
tiring drag which is always felt if an ordinarily dressed woman 
mounts a velocipede. On the other hand, the would-be dress 
reformers seized upon these undoubted facts and desired to 
use the tricycling ladies as a medium whereby they might 
introduce to the public their crude notions of a suitable and 
hygienic dress. Seeing that the spectacle of a lady on a tricycle 
was at that time a novelty sure to attract remark, it was some- 
what unreasonable that those who were courageous enough to 
ride should be asked to render themselves doubly conspicuous 
by putting on a novel and outre costume. But, although the 
reform was not adopted in its entirety, the ladies interested 
took up the question, and at a meeting called by the C. T. C. 
the matter was carefully discussed, and the following decisions 
arrived at, which embody a full description of a cycling dress 
for ladies, and which is reproduced from the official gazette of 
the Touring Club. 

Ladies : — It has already been announced that in addition to the 
thin cloth specially manufactured for their use — which weighed 
1 6 oz. per yard run, 58 to 60 inches wide — a new substance, identi- 
cal in pattern and width, is preparing to weigh 12 oz. only. This 
we conceive to be as light as in any case desirable, for a lady who 



DA'A'SS. 247 

dresses from a practical hygienic point of view, invariably discards 
the majority of the garments usually worn, and assumes those more 
in consonance with the taking of healthy athletic exercise, with its 
concomitant need of freedom of movement— the result being that 
the few articles assumed have to compensate for the inevitable loss 
of warmth which must otherwise ensue. 

A considerable amount of latitude must necessarily be allowed, 
and the rules may in some respects be considered recommenda- 
tory only, i.e., any lady who upon principle objects to implicitly 
follow them is at liberty to introduce any reasonable modification. 
It may not, however, be amiss to remark that the most careful con- 
sideration has been given to the question in all its bearings, and 
the result has been arrived at only after consultation with, and re- 
ceiving the openly expressed opinion of hundreds of the best known 
cycHsts of both sexes. The uniform designed and strongly recom- 
mended embraces the following. 

(i) A combination merino or woollen garment to be worn next 
the body. 

(2) A pair of dark grey woollen or merino stockings. 

(3) A pair of loose knickerbockers, of the Club cloth, fastened 
with elastic, or by a cloth strap and buckle, under the knee ; to be 
suspended from the hips or the shoulders at the option of the 
wearer ; or 

(4) A pair of trousers cut loose to just below the knee, and 
thence tighter just down to the foot ; to be suspended from the 
hips or shoulders at the option of the wearer. 

(5) A plain skirt, of the Club cloth, without kilting, and of suffi- 
cient fulness to admit of absolute freedom of movement without 
undue bulk. 

(6) A bodice or jacket, at option of wearer, cut either to fit the 
figure, or of Norfolk' shape, lined throughout (including sleeves) 
with the Club flannel, and provided with an adjustable belt if so 
desired. 

(7) A helmet or hat of the Club cloth, or of straw, with a special 
and registered ribbon, in any of the shapes that may be provided 
by the Club from time to time. 

(8) A pair of soft ' Tilbury'd ' doeskin gloves. 

Cos^ of Special Items. 
Knickerbockers or Trousers . . .1100 

Skirt , I 15 6 

Coat Bodice, or ' Norfolk' Jacket . o 18 6 

440 



248 CYCLING. 

This costume, adopted in February 1884, has since been 
worn by many practical and successful lady riders with complete 
satisfaction, and it embodies all the necessary points of a hygienic 
riding costume. The cloth should be closely woven and not 
fluffy or rough, as in either of these cases it will hold the dust 
and defy brushing ; neither should it be too thick, or too 
hea\^, and it should be neither too light nor too dark in colour, 
a happy grey medium being undoubtedly the most serviceable. 
That ladies generally will be fully competent to suit themselves 
in this matter there can be litde doubt, but a very large consen- 
sus of opinion is at present in favour of the lighter class of 
C. T. C. cloth for ladies' use. As with the bicyclists' costume, 
the ladies' tricycling dress was not designed at once, but was 
gradually perfected by active riders in constant work. The 
all-flannel, or rather the all-woollen, costume is even of more 
moment in this case, as the danger of colds is possibly greater 
with those who do not so frequently indulge in exercise, and 
no rider should wear anything but wool. One drawback which 
has existed for some time in this connexion has now been re- 
moved, as all-wool corsets are obtainable as well as every other 
requisite for a lady's cychng costume. 

The choice of a body garment is not a difficult one, but 
unfortunately lady riders are very fond of a tight-fitting bodice 
or jacket, which, however well it may look, must of necessity 
be hot and uncomfortable, and a ' shaped ' jacket should be 
carefully avoided if the rider means to ride in earnest and not 
to play at cycling. Of all the different styles of jackets, nothing 
touches the Norfolk jacket for all-round use. If nicely cut it 
looks well, is comfortable, and appropriate, and as it can be 
worn by either sex, it is a most serviceable garb. In all material 
points, the instructions laid down for cutting the ordinary 
Norfolk jacket should be observed. Some of the closer fitting 
jackets with a military collar are suitable for cold weather. 

When ladies first began to ride they were constrained by 
prejudice to ride upon a seat placed low down and some dis- 
tance behind the pedals, and this position, besides being awk- 



Bj^ESS. 249 

ward and uncomfortable, was also exceedingly dangerous. The 
dress in this case was constantly riding up over the knees, each 
alternate stroke lifting it higher, and many attempts were made to 
design some method of keeping it in place. Some riders sewed 
a considerable weight of shot into the lower edge so as to keep 
it down, whilst others fastened the front of the skirt to the front 
of their boots or shoes, with the very obvious result that the skirt 
dragged tremendously over the knees and rapidly tired the rider. 
Many cyclists of both sexes made experiments to see how best 
to overcome this serious difficulty, and a remedy was found, 
although not quite in the direction anticipated. Instead of 
altering the dress, it was the position of the rider which was 
altered ; instead of sitting low down, and a long way behind the 
pedals on a rear-steerinsj tricycle, she was placed upright, well 
over the pedals, upon a front-steerer. At first many ladies so 
placed insisted on still using the seat instead of the saddle, and 
were proportionately uncomfortable ; but in due time they 
were converted to the use of the saddle, and at once found 
their troubles were over. The knees, instead of awkwardly 
rising and falling in front of the body, were simply moved in a 
manner closely resembling the action of walking. The skirt 
was simply thrown out by either knee alternately, and still hung 
gracefully and comfortably in front of the rider. This was the 
solution of a difficulty which bade fair at one time to prevent 
many ladies from following the sport. 

The skirt should be just long enough for walking purposes, 
and no more. It should be of sufficient size to admit of the 
freest motion of the knees, and should be of some closely 
woven and wiry material which will not cling unduly to the 
figure. It may be a part of the jacket, or may be worn with a 
belt or suspended from one of the under garments, the latter 
plan being the best, as doing away with any tight cinctures 
around the body. It should be simple in design and not 
loaded with braiding. 

The stocking should be of thin and soft merino, as the 
extra garments worn make these somewhat oppressive if unne- 



2 so CYCLING. 

cessarily thick. They should be treated in all cases as advised 
for the bicyclist above ; but a special caution may be here given 
against tight garters, as the exercise of cycling requires that the 
h'mbs should be as free as possible from tight ligatures, which 
may give rise to serious troubles. On the question of the head 
dress the ladies again will exercise their own choice, but in 
general a smallish hat is advisable, with some provision for the 
adequate protection of the neck and eyes. With the general 
caution not to have too large a hat to catch the wind, or too 
small a one, which would not afford adequate protection from 
the sun, this point can be dismissed. Ladies will of course 
adopt shoes when riding, and these should be light and of thin 
leather, with a thin waist as flexible as possible. Eyelet holes 
should replace the hooks which the bicyclist is advised to adopt, 
as the latter catch in the front of the dress and tear it, besides 
sometimes tripping up the rider. From a similar cause the 
shoe should open a good way down, and if it is neatly made 
this will cause the foot to look all the smaller and be of great 
service to the wearer. The steel in the sole is not an absolute 
necessity, but should any lady rider suffer from cramp, or be 
continually missing her pedal, a steel and grooves to take the 
rat-traps pedals should at once be fitted, as this will enable her 
to keep her foot straight, and at the same time will correct the 
error into which she has fallen. The garments worn under 
the skirt may be practically regarded as outer garments, 
as they are usually made of the same cloth and assimilated 
as much as possible to it. A choice is offered between 
trousers and knickerbockers, but the latter are much to be 
preferred, as trousers will inevitably drag very much over the 
knees and fatigue the rider. A carefully fitted pair of knicker- 
bockers, with a cloth strap and buckle at the knee, will be found 
the most useful garments to wear under the skirt, and if the 
stockings be either of some dark colour or else match the dress, 
and the skirt be cut the right length, it will both look well and 
prove comfortable, regarded merely as a cycling costume. Here 
again it is scarcely necessary to point out that ladies should go to 



ni^Ess. 251 

a practical ladies' tailor for cycling clothes, as unless the maker is 
aware of the particular purpose for which they are wanted, 
and has some special knowledge of the requirements of the case, 
the garments when made will not be likely to prove successful. 

Outer garments being thus disposed of, the next section is 
the under wear, and it is of the very greatest importance that 
the under garments should be of an appropriate description, as 
unsuitable underclothing is certain to cause the wearer annoy- 
ance, which might easily have been obviated by taking a little 
trouble in the selection at first. Nothing but wool should 
be used, and this is more than usually important in the 
case of anything which is to be worn next the skin. The 
commonest error into which riders fall is putting on too many 
things. For short sharp runs too little clothing is infinitely pre- 
ferable to too much, and for long journeys too much clothing 
will weaken and tire the rider terribly. When he arrives at his 
journey's end, moreover, every one of his numerous garments 
is wet through and of no use at all ; whereas, if he had but 
tied one or two dry vests, Szc, to his handle-bar, they would 
have come in well at the end of the day. In ordinary summer 
weather, and when the rider can get home without riding long 
into the night, he will find that one good woollen sweater will 
be quite enough under an ordinary riding jacket, or a good 
and not too thick flannel shirt will be ample protection ; and 
if he be a cautious man, he will perhaps take a dr}' vest with 
him to put on whilst dining in the middle of the day. The 
tourist who does not mean to unduly hurry himself, but at the 
same time intends to have a few days' holiday, will perhaps 
wear an extra vest under the shirt as a preventative of cold, but 
even this in hot weather will be transferred to the luggage bag. 

The variety of undergarments is enormous, and the cycHst 
has a large selection from which to choose. It has been observed 
above that the woollen goods sold by the Sanitar)' Woollen 
Company of Fore Street are excellent, especially some of the 
vests, which are considerably longer than the ordinary vests, and 



252 CYCLING. 

are thus usable as both shirt and vest in one. This, if worn 
beneath a buttoned-up coat, will be found ample for summer 
riding. The flannel shirts usuaUy sold for cycling purposes have 
one or two faults ; they are much too voluminous and much 
too long. The shirt of the future will be just shaped to the 
figure without fitting tightly, whilst the tails will be notably 
shortened so as to get rid of some of the extra material ; the 
sleeves will be made rather tighter and the neck band of woollen 
material, and not the linen or cotton now usually employed, 
this small piece of linen being responsible for many a sore 
throat. The flannel shirt should preferably button up the front 
and should be of a uniform thickness all over, made of the very 
best flannel, not too thick and just a nice fit. Pockets in the 
shirt are a failure, as they tend to pull it open when in use, and 
should not be adopted for that reason. A good many riders of 
both sexes prefer those excellent garments known as ^ Combina- 
tions.' They are especially useful for cold days and winter 
work, as they secure that great desideratum an even distribution 
of warmth all over the body, and at the same time combine the 
various advantages of many garments in one. For those who 
habitually wear under drawers, or other similar garments, the 
Combination is a great boon, and is certain to grow steadily in 
public favour. Cashmere neck handkerchiefs are to be preferred 
to any others, though a somewhat thicker woollen comforter 
may be used with advantage for night riding in the winter. 
There are also some cashmere collars in the market which are 
decidedly better than the waterproof goods, as the latter con- 
dense the perspiration in little beads upon the collar, and this 
strikes very cold to the neck. But a flannel collar attached to 
the shirt is much the best for all purposes. Ladies' under- 
clothing should be constructed very much on the same prin- 
ciples, the main idea to be carried out being to secure good fit 
without undue tightness, a point which may be attained by the 
use of merino and stockingnette carefully chosen. If the fit of 
each garment is carefully studied, the result will be satisfactory 
in every way, and the costume will as a consequence sit well. 



DT^ESS. 



253 



Having thus set forth at length the various details of dress 
^Yhich are necessary, it may be well to recapitulate the whole of 
the items needed for a cyclist's outfit, together with the price as 
charged by the C. T. C, which may be taken as a very fair 
averas2;e cost : — 



Jacket ...... 


. 


J. 

32 





Breeches or knickerbockers . 


. 


16 





Waistcoat .... 


. 


10 





Shirt . . ... 




II 


6 


Gaiters 


. 


8 


6 


Helmets, any size .... 




6 


6 


Soft knockabout helmets, do . 




4 


6 


White straw hats, rough or smooth 


plait, with 






registered ribbon, complete 


. 


4 


6 


Straw hats, without ribbon 




3 


6 


Registered ribbon, without hat 


. 


2 





Polo caps, do 


. 


2 


9 


Deerstalker or wideawake 


. 


5 


9 


Puggarees, for helmets . 


. 


2 





Cap covers . . . . 


. 


I 


9 


Stockings, any size . • . . 


. 


4 





Gloves, any size . . . . 


. 


3 


3 


Silk handkerchiefs, or mufflers, 


in Club 






colours (grey checked ground 


, worked 






into amber and gold border) registered, 






24 in. square .... 


. 


6 


6 


30 in. ditto 


. 


9 






It is also advisable to conclude with the oft-repeated bit of 
advice, viz. when cycling clothing is wanted, go to a practical 
cycling tailor, who will appreciate the reason of the numerous 
little variations required from the regular model, and as a 
natural consequence will carry them out with accuracy and 
intelligence. The introduction lately of sound woollen stiffeners 
and other necessary materials for a garment, guaranteed all 
wool, have lightened the task of those who desire to ride 
in comfort and safety, as they will find all such things ready to 
their hands, whereas the pioneer cyclist had to go and seek for 
ihem all over the country. 



254 



CYCLING. 



The final maxims therefore are: (i), wear nothing but pure 
woollen garments ; (2), have them cut by a practical cycling 
tailor ; (3), study the even distribution of warmth ; (4), do not 
over-clothe the body ; and (5), in the event of a longish ride, 
always take a dry under-vest in case of accidents. By following 
out the above few precepts, the cyclist, lady or gentleman, will 
be enabled to ride in comfort and safety whatever may be the 
state of the weather. 




' A merry heart goes all the way, 

Your sad tires in a mile, a.' — Shakespeare. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CLUES. 

Club life was a ver}' important factor in the early development 
of cycling. The bicycle clubs were the rallying points for all 
novices, and the advice, instruction, and example obtainable in 
the ranks of such bodies were of \ery great value in assisting 
the beginners through their first cycling experiences. The 
club is a very favourite organisation with most Englishmen, 
and very early in the history of the modern bicycle, clubs were 
established, many of which did good work for the furtherance 
of the besi interests of the sport. To the clubs the originators 
of nearly all cycling schemes first appealed, and their united 
action did much to establish the present ' National Cyclists' 
Union,' and to bring it to its present important position. 

The oldest club in existence is the Pickwick B. C, formed 
in June 1870. It took its name from the work of Charles 
Dickens, and for some reason now forgotten the members each 
chose a ?iom de guerre from the pages of the ' Pickwick Papers,' 
the captain of the Club being ' Pickwick.' It is amusing now 
to look back at this early idea of club Hfe ; but so energetically 
was it then taken up that to this day the gentlemen who dubbed 
themselves ' Grummer,' ' Count Smorltork,' or * Smangle,' are 
as well known by those appellations as by their own patronymics. 
The 'Pickwick Fathers,' as the club men are called, have 
always been loyal supporters of all associations and movements 
founded for the good of the sport, and they have had good 
men on the racing path, such as Messrs. E. A. Runtz and 



256 CYCLING. 

Sidney Kemp, and hard workers in the council chamber such 
as Mr. J. Beningfield, Mr. Mess, and many more. The old 
club is still a flourishing and vigorous association, although, 
like many other senior clubs, it has retired somewhat into 
private hfe. 

The London B. C, formed in 1874, is another important 
association which has been for a long time withdrawn from 
public notice. It has an extensive membership and enjoys the 
support of the universities, whose men, on leaving and settling 
near London, usually join the London B.C., of which they have 
been for some time privileged visitors if not honorary members. 
The London B. C, r Ithough one of the earliest clubs to with- 
draw from the Hampton Court meet and similar public demon- 
strations, has always — like the Pickwick — supported the ruling 
bodies of cycling, and has sent many representatives to the 
council-board of the N. C. U. Amongst these may be mentioned 
Messrs. T. E. Scrutton, Theo. Godlee, H. R. Reynolds, J. S. 
Whatton, W. A. Smith, and many more. On the path the 
club has had an amateur champion in Mr. Wadham Wyndham, 
one of the most popular of racing men, Mr. W. T. Thorn, 
Mr. O. Thorn, and many more prominent riders. Mr. G. P. 
Coleman, official handicapper and time-keeper from 1882 to, 
1886 to the N. C. U., is also a member of the club. The 
London B. C. have of late somewhat altered their Hne of poHcy, 
and will be seen more prominently in cycling matters than 
they have been for the last few years. 

The Stanley C. C. is another prominent club, which, unlike 
the London B. C, has come very much before the public 
by reason of its promotion of an annual show of bicycles, 
tricycles and accessories, in the spring of the year. This event, 
which excites great interest in the cycling world, originated 
with the earliest captain of the Stanley Club, the late Mr. 
Airey, who promoted a conversazione at the Athenaeum, 
Camden Town, close to the club's head-quarters, where several 
makers showed by invitation specimen machines. From this 
small beginning the show grew year by year, until at the Floral 



CLUBS. 257 

Hall in 1884, in a large canvas exhibition building erected on 
the Thames Embankment in 1885, and in the Royal Aquarium, 
^^'estminster, in 1886, the Stanley C. C. have held shows at 
which hundreds of machines were on view. These shows are 
of great interest to the public who flock to see the novelties of 
the year, and the ' Stanley Show,' as it is called, is regarded as 
the formal opening of the active season. The Stanley has had 
several good representatives on the racing path, championship 
honours having been held by Mr. Lacy Hillier, whilst it has also 
sent to the council of the N. C. U., of w^hich association the club 
is a consistent supporter, many good men, prominent amongst 
them being Mr. Robert Todd, the industrious Hon, Secretary 
of that body, ]\Ir. J. H. Price, and others." 

The Surrey B. C, founded in 187 1, is another of the old 
clubs which did such good work in the earlier days of the 
sport. It is now best known by its Spring and Autumn race- 
meetings, the only cycling gatherings allowed to be held on the 
grass at Kennington Oval. The attendance is usually the largest 
of the season in the Metropolitan district, and the race for 
the Surrey Challenge Cup is, in everything but name, the race 
for the Ten Miles Championship, although run on a grass 
track. Most riders of note have competed for the cup, which 
has hitherto been almost invariably carried off by the champion 
of the year at the Autumn meeting, and invariably gives rise 
to a grand competition. The Surrey has possessed many good 
racing members, amongst them being Fred East, one of the 
best of the Surrey racers, Harry Osborn, J. F. Griffith, H. F. 
Wilson, who w^on the Fifty Miles Championship in 1883, C. D. 
Vesey, and many more. It has also sent good men to the council 
of the N. C. U., Mr. M. Goodman and Mr. Honeywell being 
amongst the first workers in the cause of that association. 
There are in the London district a very large number of other 
clubs which might be mentioned, the Temple, Canonbury, 
Rovers, Brixton Ramblers, Wanderers', West Kent (which sends 
Mr. W. B. Tanner to the N. C. U.) There are besides many 
clubs which promote enjoyable outings on the wheel every 

s 



258 CYCLING. 

Saturday, and in many cases keep up a considerable amount of 
social intercourse during the dead season, going in for gym- 
nastic work, cross-country running, and so on throughout the 
winter months. 

Among clubs whose objects differ materially from those 
of the Surrey, mentioned above, is the Civil Service C. C, 
founded in February, 1877, with Lord Bury as its President. 

Although its sphere for recruiting is necessarily somewhat 
limited, it has managed to hold its place amongst the largest 
and most influential clubs in London, and to retain its popu- 
larity notwithstanding that it has not given an open race-meeting 
for many years. Indeed its principal aim is now, and always 
has been, the encouragement amongst its members of the 
highest possible standard of excellence in road riding (as dis- 
tinguished from road racing), and it numbers in its ranks some 
of the best cross-country riders of the day, both on the bicycle 
and tricycle. Club rides and tours form the principal part of 
its annual arrangement, and it may not unfairly be argued that 
the rational policy advocated by this club is completely in ac- 
cordance with the popular idea of what cycling ought to be. 

In addition to the name of its President, the names of 
Walter Risworth, E. H. Poole, Harry Venables, and A. P. Shaw 
will recall to the memories of the older school of cyclists many 
reminiscences of the hard struggle for popularity which engaged 
the energies of the pioneers of the sport. 

Tricycle clubs are of course younger in years than the 
bicycle clubs, the oldest being the Finchley T. C, established 
in 1880. It is pre-eminently a social club, the members all 
being personal friends, and it has always taken a very high 
position in the tricycling world. The ' Finchley Fathers ' do not 
go in for racing to any great extent, but they have sent some 
good men to the council of the union, prominent amongst them 
being Mr. Boverton Redwood. The London T. C, Holborn 
C. C, West London T. C, Ealing and Acton T. C, and other 
bodies are devoted to the interests of the three-wheel sport. 

In the country, a large number of vigorous and important 



CLUBS. 



259 



associations exist, scarcely any large town being without one or 
more cycling clubs. It would be impossible to give a com- 
plete list of these bodies, but one or two are deserving of 
mention. The North Warwickshire is one of the most promi- 
nent of the Birmingham Clubs, with a good membership and 
energetic officials, whilst the Speedwell B. C. is another institu- 
tion which may be fairly termed the ' Stanley Club ' of Birming - 
ham, as, like the Stanley C. C, the Speedwell promotes an 
annual exhibition at Bingley Hall, which has hitherto proved 




'"C'll ^^ ' 




THE ANCHOR AT RIPLEY. 



very successful. The Bradford Club, formed in 1874, is one 
of the oldest and best of the provincial organisations. The 
C. T. C. owes much of its success to the support afforded 
to it in its early days by the energetic members of this associa- 
tion, whilst the Harrogate Camp, one of the most pleasant 
outings of the year, is wholly managed by the B. B. C. men, 
who contrive to make it a pronounced success. The Brighton 
B. C, formed in 1873, is another influential club which has held 



26o CYCLING. 

its own from the first in South Coast cycling. The Bristol B.C., 
formed in 1876, is a leading West of England club. The Uni- 
versity Clubs have always played an important part in the 
history of cycling, and possess a special interest inconsequence; 
the Oxford University B.C., for a long time known as 'The 
Dark Blue B. C.,' was formed in February 1873. ^^ has had in 
its ranks a number of good men, but has only once numbered a 
champion amongst its members in Mr. A. A. Weir, the Twenty- 
five Miles Champion of 1878. The Cambridge University B. C. 
was established one year later, in February 1874, and has had a 
remarkably successful career, having included many champions 
in its ranks, amongst them being the Hon. Ion Keith- Falconer, 
Two Miles Champion in 1878, and Fifty Miles Champion in 
1882; J. S. Whatton, Five Miles Amateur Champion, 1882; and 
George Gatehouse, Twenty-five Miles Amateur Tricycle Cham- 
pion, 1885. A large number of first-class men have from time to 
lime belonged to the C. U. B. C, and both University clubs have 
w^ell supported the councils of the N. C. U., Mr. G. F. Cobb, M.A., 
being the man to whom the Union owes its success, if not its 
very existence. The Eastbourne B. C. is another old-established 
body, and the Leamington and South Warwickshire, formed in 
1876, has also done good work in furthering the interests of the 
sport. The Anfield B. C. of Liverpool has, in its loyal support 
of the N. C. U. during the dispute which raged during 1885, 
established a permanent claim on the cycling world, and its 
officers, including Mr. Lawrence Fletcher, have greatly furthered 
the interests of cycling. The Newcastle Amateur B. C, formed 
in 1877, must also be specially mentioned, and in the South, 
the Portsmouth B.C. formed in 1874 has been for many years 
one of the most energetic of the South Coast clubs. The Red- 
ditch and District B. C, Rochdale Zingari, Runcorn Amateur, 
Wells B. C, York B. C. (which gave Mr. J. L. Varley to the 
councils of the C. T. C), and many more associations could be 
named which have done the sport some service. 

In Scotland a number of clubs are established, several in 
Edinburgh ; prominent amongst them being the Edinburgh 



CLUBS. 261 

Amateur established in 1S74, the Midlothian CC, Glasgow 
and Edinburgh Universities B. C, and several more ; whilst the 
Caledonian and (jlasgow Tricycle Clubs look after riders of the 
steadier three-wheeler. Wales, Ireland, and the Colonies are 
all well supplied with cycling clubs, and Germany, France, 
Austria, Russia, and other countries, all possess extensive 
organisations devoted to the fostering and encouragement of 
the sport. One of the earliest Russian clubs, the Zarcoe Selo, 
was at one time debarred by the Government from wearing 
badge or uniform. The prohibition was, however, eventually 
withdrawn. In America a vast number of cycle clubs are esta- 
lished, and they are constituted somewhat differently from ours, 
the members being for the most part willing to pay a larger 
subscription than would be the case in England. As a result 
cycling clubs in America have usually very complete club-houses, 
and generally partake more of the nature of a social club than 
of a cycling club as it is understood in this country ; but 
cycling in the States will be found discussed at length in another 
chapter. 

The fear has been expressed in some quarters that clubs 
are decaying. It is only natural that the first rush of energy 
should be followed by a period of quiescence, but those 
bodies which have been managed on the right lines are morally 
stronger than ever, the cohesion and esprit de corps being more 
established than in the clubs of yesterday. Private friendships 
have gradually been cemented amongst the members, whilst 
those who made no such ties have slowly but surely dropped 
out, and as a result the men left are strongly knit together in a 
bond of union. Such cases are to be seen in some of our best 
clubs, and as long as this state of things continues the best 
features of club life will remain in cycling. Any rider desiring 
to join a club will do w^ell to make careful inquiries as to the 
status and position of the members of those in his immediate 
neighbourhood, and then to join the association which is most 
conveniently situated, and most suitable for his requirements. 

There are a number of athletic clubs which give a certain 



262 CYCLING. 

amount of attention to cycling. 7'he London Athletic Club 
was at one time rather strong in its cycling division, Messrs. 
C. E. Liles and H. F. Wilson being members, but the position 
assumed by the club with regard to the dispute in 1885 has 
done much to interfere with its further development in cycling 
matters. The South London Harriers is another club which 
has a very strong cycling membership, and several other 
athletic bodies in town and country have cycling branches. 



THE UNIVERSITY BICYCLING CLUBS. 

TJie inter- University races. — As in other branches of athletics, 
the cychsts of the Universities formed clubs and entered into 
active competition with one another, and since 1874 the sister 
Universities of Oxford and Cambridge have met in friendly 
rivalry each season until 1885, when, owing to the absence of 
any prominent racing men, or any amount of cycling interest 
at Oxford, the annual meeting for the first time fell through, 
after being held for ten years. On the whole, Cambridge has 
won fourteen contests against thirteen won by Oxford, and 
thus stands one point to the good. But this scarcely represents 
the true state of the case, as the Cambridge cyclists have taken 
higher honours in cycling than Oxford men. Cambridge pos- 
sesses a singularly fast path when it is in condition, and the 
interest taken in cycling has always been greater in that uni- 
versity, which as far back as 1876 numbered an amateur cham- 
pion amongst its riders. The Hon. Ion Keith-Falconer won 
the Amateur Athletic Club's Four Miles Championship in that 
year, and thus aroused a permanent interest in the sport at his 
University. Since that time Cambridge has been credited with 
no less than five amateur championships, as follows : — 

1876. Four Miles Amateur Championship. Hon. Ion Keith- 
Falconer. 

1878. Two !\li]es Amateur Championship. Hon. Ion Keith- 
Falconer. 



d^hPMiij^'^ 





V ^ 


N 


\ 






^ 




'<^-\f 




rl^ 










CLUBS. 263 

18S2. Five Miles Amateur Championship. J. S. Whatton. 
„ Fifty Miles Amateur Championship. Hon. Ion Keilh- 

P^alconer. 
1SS5. Twenty-five Miles Tricycle Championship. George 

Gatehouse. 

On the other hand, Oxford can claim only a single amateur 
champion — A. A. Weir, twenty-five miles amateur champion 
in 1S78 — although it has included in its ranks many other 
riders, who w^ould, had they taken care of themselves and per- 
severed, been amongst the first cychsts of the years in which 
they rode. The name of the Hon. Ion Keith-Falconer, a brother 
of the present Earl of Kintore, stands first in the list of Cam- 
bridge riders. He commenced riding veiy early in the seven- 
ties, and in 1874 one of his first long rides was recorded in 
' The Field.' He rode from Bournemouth to Hitchin in 
nineteen and a quarter hours, the distance being 136 miles ; 
and this was followed by other successes upon the racing path 
and the road. He made one of the first bicycle journeys from 
Land's End to John o' Groat's, and took part in many races, and 
in May, 1879, niade the record for two miles, 5 mins. 36! sees., 
which withstood the successive onslaughts of Cortis, and only 
fell before the redoubtable English in 1884. Keith-Falconer, 
despite his splendid record, w^as an unreliable rider. Just when 
he was fittest and most expected to score, he either declined 
the contest or gave up ; thus, after training for several weeks 
in 1883 for the Fifty Miles Championship, he left the track for 
Brighton on the morning of the race and did not compete. 
On the memorable occasion when, after many efforts to bring 
them together, he at length met the late H. L. Cortis, that 
redoubtable rider ran him off his legs at seven miles, to the 
intense disgust of the Cantab's friends. Keith-Falconer was a 
very effective rider on the path. His style was excellent, though 
perhaps too upright for latter-day ideas. He sat close up to 
the head of his machine, and being a tall man (over six feet) 
he looked remarkably well, and rode with skill, his win in the 
Fifty Miles Championship of 1882 being accomplished by good 



264 CYCLING. 

judgment and with consummate ease. J. S. Whatton is an- 
other of the Cambridge men who has done honour to his 
club and university by winning a championship ; the Five Miles 
in 1882 having fallen to hmi by a short length from Keith-Fal- 
coner. Whatton always raced on a singular bicycle, details of 
which will be found in a subsequent chapter of this book, and as 
the machine was absurdly heavy, it enhances the value of his 
performance, whilst the weakness of the lengthy handle-bars 
also deprived him of much of the advantage which a straight 
and rigid handle-bar would have given him. Whatton's style 
was excellent : sitting not too far forward, he used his ankles 
remarkably well, and his spurt was most effective. He held 
during his championship year the flying quarter record, 36i sees., 
since beaten. 

George Gatehouse, who is also a riding member of the 
Stanley and Chichester Clubs, went up to Cambridge with a 
reputation which he has fairly supported. His appearance at 
Cambridge took place at a bad time for him, inasmuch as no 
rider then at the university could extend him, and thus he 
had not that incentive to hard work which Falconer had, when 
Dodds and others pressed him closely, and which always makes 
a good man take care of himself. Gatehouse never received 
more than twenty-five yards in any open mile handicap, a 
convincing proof that his merits were known , and his victory 
in the Twenty-five Miles Tricycle Championship in 1885, 
fully described elsewhere, stamped him as a first-rate rider. 
Mr. Gatehouse is quite young, and does not, as the phrase 
goes, ride with his head. As a result, he has often been beaten 
by men to whom in mere speed he was much superior. He 
is the first man who ever rode twenty miles within the hour 
on a tricycle. Among Cambridge men who have not won 
championship honours may be named F. L. Dodds, A. P. 
Trotter, C. A. E. Pollock (who at one time held the mile record, 
2 mins. 56^ sees., made on July 27, 1878, at the Alexandra 
Palace), G^ D. Day, F. Tower, F. G. Mayor, O. G. M. Leeds, 



CLUBS. 



265 



D. J. S. Bailey, H. Muir, and S. Swann. The latter, a good 
rowing and running man, would, had he given enough time 
to it, have been second to none in the cycling sport. Few of 
these riders, with the exception of Dodds, Pollock, and Leeds, 
made any prominent show on the racing path out of Cambridge. 




ASbbMHLE • 



266 CYCLING, 



CHAPTER IX. 

TRICYCLING FOR LADIES. 

Tricycling has of late years been taken up by ladies in a 
manner which augurs well for the permanency and popularity of 
this branch of the sport. The bicycle was of necessity a soli- 
tary vehicle, and still more, a man's vehicle. The tricycle from 
its first advent, as a practical conveyance, attracted the attention 
of the ladies. In 1878, tradition told of a lady rider, who, in 
company with her husband, made an extended tour along the 
south coast, and in quiet lanes and private gardens feminine 
riders began to initiate themselves into the pastime which pre- 
sented itself, very soon arriving at the conclusion that the novel 
vehicle was singularly suited to their requirements. 

The sport of cycling, in which they had hitherto taken but 
Httle interest, now became of considerable importance in their 
eyes. Of course there was a great deal of opposition to be 
encountered. At first medical men without any practical 
knowledge of cycling, tabooed it, and any number of ills were 
confidently promised to ladies who rode the new machines. 
Progress, thus checked, was further retarded by the fact that 
the most unsuitable machines in the market were labelled 
'ladies' tricycles.' If any machine possessed points about it 
which would inevitably have secured its rejection by a prac- 
tised rider ; if it was a single driver, with inadequate break 
power, rear steering and generally impracticable, that was the 
machine a lady was recommended to ride, and as she was 
usually provided with a seat placed well behind her work and 



TRICYCLING FOR LADIES. 267 

too close to it, the pioneer Jady cyclists did not have a fair chance. 
It followed naturally that the progress made was very slow ; 
still, a few ladies were found who disregarded criticism, and 
pursued the sport with vigour and enthusiasm. Some of these 
had the good fortune to possess male relatives who were them- 
selves practical cyclists, and gave the learners valuable aid and 
advice. In one case the gentleman did his best to persuade 
his fair companion to adopt a saddle, vertical position, and a 
full easy reach, but she declined the trial, although the man 
she had promised to obey nearly ordered her to attempt it. At 
length one day, far in the country, away from the busy hum of 
men, the lady much against her will consented to the experi- 
ment. The seat was exchanged for a saddle, the standard which 
carried it was raised some inches, the saddle shifted forward, 
and then the experimentalist mounted. For a few hundred 
yards she averred that she was going to fall on her nose every 
moment, then she became more comfortable, and for some 
hours rode in the new position with considerable satisfac- 
tion. On nearing home, though it was late in the day, she in- 
sisted on having the standard lowered again, as she was under 
the impression that her skirt was not quite long enough for the 
city ; and then, and not till then, did she fully recognise the 
advantages of the vertical position and the saddle, the two 
miles or so in the old position being an ample and convincing 
proof of its fallacy. 

Other ladies were slowly but surely arriving at the same 
results, the advantages of the sport became more and more 
patent to its feminine votaries, and their example was followed 
until at the present time there are thousands of lady riders who 
enjoy more or less the pleasure of a spin upon the tricycle. 
Cycling provides a healthy, invigorating, and entirely novel 
form of exercise for ladies, and if not overdone is of marked 
benefit to the majority, who obtain a breath of fresh air 
combined with a certain amount of healthy exercise and mild 
excitement. 

By far the larger number of our lady riders began their 



268 CYCLING. 

C5'cling experiences upon sociables or tandems, with their 
husbands and brothers, and thus gained by degrees the experi- 
ence and confidence necessary for the fullest enjoyment of 
a cruise upon wheels, eventually attaining the self-reliance 
necessary for a trip upon a single tricycle. It is perhaps upon 
a tandem with a gentleman companion that the lady rider looks 
most at home, and when, clad in a well-fitting and becoming 
cosLume, she flits by on the front seat of one of these light and 
speedy machines, the most sceptical observer is converted to the 
same view. This fact is fully recognised by the general public, 
who have been quite educated up to the sight of lady tricyclists 
perambulating the roads, and gaze upon them with the same 
sort of indifference with which a nineteenth-century horse gazes 
upon a railway train or a steam roller. In many crowded dis- 
tricts which would be more prolific of deterrent circumstances 
than quiet and out-of-the-way country corners, the efforts of 
individual lady riders have had very much to do with popularis- 
ing the sport amongst the ladies. To these pioneers cycling 
owes much. Ladies who now enjoy an unmolested spin upon 
the highway w^ill think with gratitude of these first lady cyclists 
— several of whom were identified with the South London T. C. 
After a transition period in which ladies whose names are now 
well known to cyclists courageously took the lead, the sport 
became popular among the sex, and they are to be found joining 
club runs, touring, and making short excursions in all parts 
of the country in search of fresh air and exercise. Many are 
amateurs of sketching, painting, or photography, and for these 
the tricycle soon becomes an almost indispensable adjunct — 
a convenient beast of burden which carries the impedimenta 
as well as the artist herself. 

Allusion has been made to the fact that at one time any 
vehicle, however unscientific and unsuitable, was considered good 
enough for ladies, and was labelled accordingly. That stage has 
happily passed, and their requirements in this direction are pretty 
fully met by the manufacturers. A lady's tricycle should be 
built especially for her and should not be used by any heavier 



i'4 ifi '^ ^' 




270 CYCLTXG. 

attempts to in::;:L:e a lady mto the mjrsteries of cjdiiig finds 
most trouble, but uniil the noTice consents to don a shoe with a 
broad sc^ and a low hed thoe can be no safisfartory cyding. 
Thm sxAes or narrow shoes canse pain and inoooTenience. 
Tight boots interfere with the 6ee action of the ankk;, whilst 
high heels are paiticDlarly dangexoos and nttexiy oat of place 
CMi a tricjde ; a shoe cm the recommended lines gives the user 
freedom of action, comj^^e oomfcHt, and an adequate grip of 
the pedals. The general dress question is treated elsewhae. 
and for the rest may very wdl be left in the hands of the ladies 
th^nselves — a modified adc^iion <^ the dual garments has 
found much &¥our with the more practical of laity ridos, 
whilst^ on the other hand, the Tcduminous divided skirt has 
jHOTed singularly ill-adapted for the wcxk. Qothing which 
takes a dual form, dosety resemUing male costume, with a 
suitable skirt supa--added, is most usually adopted, and the 
general lin^ laid down as to the use of flannel garments, in 
the diapter on dress, may be recommended to the attention of 
ifi t^ rn ding lady riders. A large number of cy<ding dubs admit 
ladies to membership, and companions can ofbea be thus ob- 
tained for runsj, whilst the C T. C is open to ladies., who are 
cardidly catoed forin all departments (^ C T. C wnk. When 
indulged in with modoatiaa there is no finer amusement fior 
ladies than tricyding. 




271 



CHAPTER X. 

RACING PATHS. 

A FEW years ago there were no paths in existence which had 
not some serious drawback from a racing cycHst's point of view. 
All were in one way or another unsuited to the sport. They 
had been laid out solely for athletics, such as running, walking, 
and so on, and were not in any way calculated for the new 
and faster sport of cycling. The old Lillie Bridge path, which 
was always considered excellent by running men, proved abso- 
lutely dangerous for bicycle racing, and a new significance was 
found in the title of the lower left-hand corner of the track, 
which was termed 'the Hospital Corner' because it was close 
to the buildings of the hospital. Many a good man who has 
gone flying past his opponents in front of the grand stand, 
and rushed on to victory down the railway straight, has come 
a complicated cropper at the Hospital Corner, and brought 
down others in his fall. It would take considerable space to 
enumerate the names of all the riders who have escaped the 
railings only to plough up the cinders of the path. 

The special points required in a cychng track are as 
follows : — 

1. It must be as nearly level as possible. 

2. It must be wide ; not less than i8 feet, preferably any- 
thing more in reason. 

3. It must be hard, with a solid basis of sound soil or of 
made ground, the softness of running paths being very much 
against the bicyclist. The improvement of the specially laid 



272 CYCLING. 

cycling paths in this direction has had much to do with the 
improvement in times recorded of late years ; thus the Crystal 
Palace cycling track is 30 per cent, harder than the Stamford 
Bridge running path. 

4. The corners must be 'bevelled' or banked, the meaning 
of this being that the track must be made higher outside than 
inside, sloping from two feet or more on the outside edge to 
nothing on the inside (on the same principle as the set given 
to railway lines round a curve), to assist the rider in over- 
coming the centrifugal force which his twenty miles an hour 
dash down the straight has developed. 

All these points and many other minor ones were entirely 
novel. They had never been raised before, and thus were not 
attended to by the layers and makers of running paths, and it 
was some time ere the requirements of the cychsts were fully 
met. 

Even now, indeed, many of the cychng paths suffer from 
want of sufficient banking at the corners, or from inadequate 
care in keeping ' the bones ' of the track fully covered with the 
hard surface. 

Tracks are made of cinder alone, bound with unburnt coal 
and breeze ; in very damp localities, of cinder and burnt clay 
mixed j in drier places of gravel, which is never satisfactory ; 
of clay, which is worse, except in the very driest weather ; and 
of a combination of these and other materials. Much depends 
upon the situation of the track. If it is in a damp place it will 
often keep in condition longer during the active racing season, 
the summer ; if, on the other hand, it drains freely, it will get 
loose and sandy under the same conditions ; and in short it is 
impossible to lay down arbitrary rules, which would assuredly 
not be suitable in many cases. The attendant has to watch 
and nurse his path assiduously. The track which held for a 
long while pride of place amongst English cycling paths was 
that at Cambridge. It is composed of a whitish oolite mixed 
with gravel, but through want of attention is very seldom in 
good condition ; there is usually a fairly smooth 18-inch path, 



RACING PATHS. 273 

round which the training men ride, and once in a way it is got 
into good shape all over. When really in condition it is second 
to no path in the kingdom ; it is situated in a field some little 
way out of Cambridge, is circular, 4 laps to the mile, not very 
wide. On one side it is raised slightly from the level of the 
field, on the other it runs through a sort of cutting. There 
is a dressing-room, but not much accommodation. Many 
notable races have taken place on this path, Mr. Keith- Falconer's 
defeat of Keen, Cooper, and Cortis in a two-mile race in 5 mins. 
36 1 sees, being perhaps the most famous. It is a good path, 
and its excellence when in condition has had much to do with 
the great performances shown by Cambridge men. 

The Oxford path is situated a short distance outside 
Oxford, and is on a slight slope. It is a yard or two over 3 laps 
to the mile, is square in shape with the ends rather rounded, 
and narrow, excepting the straight finish, which is broad and 
well laid. The material used is cinder, which gets rather loose 
in hot weather, and always runs a trifle dead. The corners are 
fairly easy ; the run down the back stretch is somewhat baulking 
to a stranger to the path, an obtrusive white post and rail fence 
being prominently placed on the turn. The dressing accommo- 
dation is excellent in every way. The ground is the property of 
the Oxford University Athletic Club. 

One of the first paths which proved suitable for cycling in the 
Metropolitan district was that laid down in the recreation grounds 
at Surbiton, although it is too slightly banked at the corners, 
a fact which has caused a good many men to run wide, since 
C. A. Palmer did so unwittingly in the Five Miles Championship 
of 188 1 ; but the four corners, being only quarter-turns, are easy 
and well graded, and as no solid and permanent spike-and-rail 
fence on the outside threatens the rider with injury should he 
make a mistake, he can go at his corners with courage and 
dash. Surbiton ranked second only to the Cambridge path for 
pace in the earlier days of the sport. 

The Surbiton path is square in shape, 4 laps to the mile, 
with of course four good corners. The ground on which it is laid 



274 CYCLING. 

slopes slightly from the railway embankment which runs on one 
side of it, and consequently the track has two level sides, the top 
and bottom, and an uphill and a downhill side ; the start and 
finish in the old right-hand-in days was on the downhill side, 
which enabled a rider to get away quickly, and this without 
doubt had something to do with the pace of the path. The 
dressing accommodation is very poor ; there is no bath and few 
other conveniences ; the nearest railway station is Surbiton. 

The Stamford Bridge track is laid out in the grounds of the 
London Athletic Club at Fulham. This path is of cinder, has 
two long straights and two semicircular ends, the half-turn of 
course requiring more negotiation than the quarter-turns of 
Surbiton j and as an iron post-and-rail fence stands just one 
foot from the outside edge of the path, unaccustomed riders 
have to be somewhat cautious how they make these turns, 
especially as the corners are but slightly banked. The dress- 
ing-room accommodation is excellent, with good shower bath, 
&c. The nearest stations are Chelsea and Walham Green. 

Close to the Stamford Bridge track are found the old and 
new paths in the Lillie Bridge Grounds, West Brompton. The 
old path was made of cinder, 3 laps to the mile, and is no 
longer used for cycling ; the new path is made of burnt 
clay and cinder, 4 laps to the mile, with two long straights ; but 
the circular ends are of different radii, the top one being the 
smaller. The path was somewhat hastily laid, and the bottom 
has sunk considerably, which has made it rather uneven. 
For some reason not immediately apparent, this path runs 
singularly * dead.' It may possibly be due to its having been 
laid on the lines of a running path ; but whatever is the real 
cause, the fact remains. The dressing accommodation is poor. 
Nearest station. West Brompton. 

The Alexandra Palace track was at one time of much 
greater size than it is now, being 2^ laps to the mile. As this 
included a somewhat severe gradient, it has been altered to an 
even 3 laps. It is made of gravel, the corners are excellently 
banked, and every effort has been made to popularise the path. 



RACING PATHS. 275 

In shape it somewhat resembles a reversed D; the straight, along 
which the rider travels, left inside, as in all paths, is up hill, 
and the long curving side down hill. The corner at the bottom, 
which is of course approached at high speed, has been most 
carefully banked, and with very little practice can be managed 
with safety and ease. ' The dressing accommodation is good ; 
the grounds of the Alexandra Palace are well known and easily 
accessible from various parts ; the ' Palace Gates ' and Wood 
Green stations are the nearest. 

The Crystal Palace track at Sydenham was one of the first 
paths laid solely for cycling, and, the work having been done 
with consideration and care, it is one of the fastest, if not the 
fastest, in the kingdom. It was laid by the Directors of the 
Crystal Palace Company, in deference to the representations of 
a committee of S. E. riders, headed by IMr. W. B. Tanner, and 
is placed round one of the lakes in the grounds, carried over two 
causeways on either side. It is of cinder, with a very sound and 
solid bottom, which, however, is unfortunately bedded on clay, 
and this occasionally works through ; but the path, on the whole, 
is an excellent one, much improved since the hydrants were laid 
all round it. As it drains very quickly, it has to be well watered 
to keep it in condition. It is circular in shape, 3^ laps to the 
mile, the true circle being, however, a little flattened at the 
causeways, which are nearly straight. The dressing accommoda- 
tion is good ; there is a shower bath ; and the Company have 
recently erected an extensive grand stand, so that the path is 
complete in every way. The Crystal Palace is easily reached 
from London ; the Low Level and Penge stations are the most 
convenient for the path. 

A number of other excellent racing tracks exist in different 
parts of the country, many of them having been put down 
solely for the purposes of cycle racing, whilst others are cal- 
culated for cycling and athletics. Amongst the more notable 
may be named the Long Eaton track, close to Trent Junction, 
a large square track of uneven measurement, about 2\ laps to 
the mile, with splendidly banked corners, and well arranged in 



276 CYCLING. 

every way ; the Coventry track, a ' two straights ' track with 
well-banked corners ; the Hampden Park track at Glasgow ; the 
Jarrow track ; the Weston-super-Mare track ; the Paignton 
track, and many more. Most paths laid for athletics cut up 
sadly under the wheels of the cyclist. Those laid for cycling 
generally wear well. The vast improvement in record times is 
to some extent due to the excellence of the specially prepared 
paths, as anyone will at once understand who compares Long 
Eaton with old Lillie Bridge for example. 



27? 



CHAPTER XL 

THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 

A SPORT such as this of cycling, so wide-spread, so valuable 
from a health- giving and economic point of view, so distinct 
from all the minor branches of athletics, which have their Alpha 
and Omega in the competitions on the cinder path, and more- 
over, so easily applicable to the stern business of life, was not 
likely to remain for any length of time under feeble control ; 
and although at first promoters of ordinary athletic sports did 
not care to push forward the new pastime, the steadily growing 
interest in cycling gradually encouraged them to include races 
for bicyclists in their programmes, as these contests excited the 
widest interest and thus benefited the meeting in a pecuniary 
sense. Such clubs or bodies as then existed for the guidance of 
amateur sport were solely concerned with these path competi- 
tions, and the larger interests of cyclists were entirely overlooked. 
The Amateur Athletic Club of Lillie Bridge promoted a four 
miles championship, but beyond this nothing was done for the 
larger section of cyclists, the road riders ; and these latter, 
together with a number of well known racing men, deter- 
mined to create a governing body elected by cyclists to rule 
cycling. 

This determination was preceded by many crude suggestions 
in the pages of the press devoted to the sport, some of them 
embodying in the proposed scheme the functions of the C. T. C. 
and N. C. U. combined, and others only touchin^: on a small 



278 CYCLING. 

portion of the work to be done. There are not wanting cyclists 
who think that, had an association been then formed com- 
bining the C. T. C. and N. C. U., the result would have been 
for the benefit of the sport ; whilst another section cUng to the 
belief that the healthy rivalry which existed between our two 
great associations in their youthful days w^as the reason of 
their splendid development, as shown at present by the power 
and prestige which both undoubtedly possess. 

In the year 1876 a flood of correspondence, notes, &c., 
appeared in the cycling and sporting press, advocating the 
establishment of a legislative body for the governance of the 
sport of bicycling chiefly as regarded touring, bicychng being 
the only branch of cycling then existing. Mr. Murray Ford of 
the Temple B. C. took a prominent part in the discussion, with 
a number of suggestions. A number of other well-known men, 
amongst them being Mr. Walter Cornell of the Wanderers 
B.C., M. D. Rucker of the London B.C., Mr. J. W. Bening- 
field of the Pickwick B.C., Mr. F. Jolly of the London B.C., 
and many more gave the benefit of their opinions and experi- 
ence. In the press many advocates were found, amongst them 
Mr. Stephen Richardson, and others who still take an active 
interest in the sport. 

The first definite move was made in the winter of 1876-77, 
and a debate was held at the head-quarters of the Temple B.C. 
in March 1877, in which a number of the most prominent 
riders of the day took part. In the result a diaft scheme was 
unanimously accepted, and the hon. secretary of the Temple 
B.C. was asked to convene a meeting of delegates from every 
club in the kingdom to assist in the formation of a necessary 
association for the full control of the sport. Without doubt 
the successes of the Union may be traced to the fact that its 
origin was brought about at an open and honest meeting in 
which all who cared to be represented could take part, and 
thus the opinions of all who had any right to speak were 
obtained. The more formal meeting was called on April 30, 
1877, and was well attended. It was perhaps natural that each 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION 279 

of the larger bodies wished to claim the credit of having founded 
the great cycling association, and a good deal of care was 
necessary before this difficulty could be smoothed over. At 
length, however, a sub-committee was appointed, the first, but 
by no means the last, named by the then newly established 
body. This sub-committee did not make very much progress, 
and it was not until September 1877 that it issued its report, 
which mainly consisted of a resolution affirming that the 
London, Pickwick, Surrey, and Temple Bicycle Clubs had 
jointly agreed to establish the ' Bicycle Union' to meet an 
obvious necessity. The cycling clubs of the universities, the 
Cambridge, and Dark Blue (Oxford) Bicycle Clubs were con- 
sulted, and Mr. G. F. Cobb, M.A., of Cambridge (who must 
not be confounded with another well-known cycHst of the 
same name), whose able assistance and great influence were 
undoubtedly of inestimable value to the young association, 
took the chair at a meeting held on November 17, 1877, as the 
outcome of which the following circular was formally issued by 
the Hon. Secretaries of the now supreme ruling association of 
cycling : — 

At a meeting held at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street, on the 17th 
of November, present Mr. G. F. Cobb, chairman, and Hon. Ion 
Keith-Falconer, C. U. B. C, Messrs. M. D. Rucker, junr., and F. 
Jolly, London B. C, Messrs. J. W. Beningfield and John Nixon, 
Pickwick B.C., Mr. F. Honeywell, Surrey B.C., and Mr. W. 
IMcWilliam, Temple B.C., it was unanimously resolved 'That a 
prospectus of the Bicycle Union be published in all the bicycle 
journals, and a copy of it sent to the secretary of every bicycle 
club in the United Kingdom, with the request that those clubs which 
may be ready to join an union formed on this proposed basis should 
communicate with the secretary /r^ /^;«. of the Bicycle Union if 
possible before the ist of July, 1878, and further name a delegate or 
delegates to represent them.' I append the prospectus and await 
your reply. The first general meeting will probably be held in 
January next. 

The prospectus, which was drawn up at some considerable 
length, ran as follows : — • 



28o CYCLING. 

I. Objects of the Union. 

The Bicycle Union shall be a means by which bicyclists can 
co-operate together (by representation) for the following and other 
purposes : — 

1. To secure a fair and equitable administration of justice as 
regards the rights of bicyclists on the public roads. 

2. To watch the course of any legislative proposals in Parlia- 
ment or elsewhere affecting the interests of the bicycling public, 
and to make such representations on the subject as the occasion 
may demand. 

3. To consider the existing relations between bicyclists and 
the railway companies, with the view of securing, if possible, some 
modification of the present tariff for the carriage of bicycles, and 
greater security in their conveyance. 

4. To examine the question of bicycle racing in general, and 
to frame definitions and recommend rules on the subject. To 
arrange for annual race meetings, at which the Amateur Champion- 
ship shall be decided. 

2. Proposed Constitution of the Union. 

1. That the Union shall consist of all such bicycle clubs as may 
be willing to join it. 

2. That the method of representation be as follows :—{a) 
Every bicycle club having thirty active members to be entitled to a 
representative, {b) Every club having more than that number to 
be entitled to an additional representative for every additional com- 
plete fifty, {c) That clubs with less than thirty members be invited 
to combine for the purpose of electing a joint representative, {d) 
That the delegate of a club shall not necessarily be a member of 
the particular club he represents. Provincial clubs can nominate 
some metropolitan bicyclist as their representative. But the 
delegate should be in all cases a member of some bicycle club. 

3. That the representatives thus selected be called the Council 
of the Bicycle Union, and it shall be their business to discuss the 
above mentioned and other matters as occasion may suggest, and 
to pass resolutions, and take action concerning them. 

4. That the Council of the Bicycle Union shall elect a secre- 
tary, treasurer, and executive, whose duty it shall be to carry out 
and apply the resolutions and orders of the Council. 

5. That the secretary be, if possible, a member of the legal 
profession. 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 2S1 

6. That every club joining the Bicycle Union shall contribute 
annually to the funds of the Union a sum equivalent to a capitation 
charge on each member of the club, the amount of such charge to 
be fixed annually by the Council of the Union, such charge for the 
first year to be one shilling for every member. 

This was the first programme of the Union, and although its 
scope has been widened and its plan enlarged, yet on the whole, 
the policy so briefly outhned has been carried out as far as circum- 
stances would allow. The influence of Mr. Cobb is to be recog- 
nised throughout, in the very wide and liberal lines on which 
this first prospectus is drawn. The most noticeable point about 
it lies in the fact that the Union then as novr was so constituted 
as to admit professionals to membership, and thus secure a body 
representing not merely a section but the whole sport. This 
prospectus attracted but little attention in the provinces, where 
things were scarcely ripe for the new^ departure, but several 
London clubs joined, notable amongst them being the West 
Kent B.C., a club which gave to the legislative work of the 
cycling world IMr. W. B. Tanner, a gentleman whose good 
sersices both to the N. C. U. and C. T. C. cannot be overrated. 
The first formal general meeting of the Bicycle Union was held 
at the Guildhall Tavern on Februar}' 16, 1878, Mr. G. F. Cobb 
being in the chair, and at this meeting the general lines of the 
constitution were approved, and arrangements made for their 
complete establishment. Necessarily in a general scheme of 
such dimensions, especially when the minor points were settled 
by a number of men without any practical legislative experience 
in this particular line, there were many points which have re- 
quired and received reconsideration during the course of 
practical work, and on one of these, the basis of representation, 
the first split occurred ; the West Kent and other clubs seced- 
ing from the young body to its ver}- decided detriment as far as 
prestige went, but to its advantage in another way, for those 
who were left in put their shoulders to the wheel even more 
vigorously than ever, with a determination to fight the thing 
through and make it a success. 



282 CYCLING. 

On March 14 another meeting was held, and the constitution 
of February, faulty as it was, confirmed. 

Almost at once the great ' amateur question came to the 
front, and although it at one time threatened to wreck the little 
body, it proved in truth its salvation. There was no recognised 
athletic authority in the South, and the Northern Counties 
Athletic Association was more of a defence league, only inte- 
rested in keeping the professional element out of the sports of 
the clubs which formed it. Thus it happened that the Bicycle 
Union was the only body ruling an athletic branch of sport 
which claimed paramount authority in its own sphere, as it still 
does, and which was ruled solely by the voice of the majority. 

The action of the young body made a strong impression 
on the lovers of sport, and secured for it the respect of many 
who would otherwise scarcely have taken any interest in its 
working. It was soon evident that the first question which the 
Union would have to take in hand was that of the amateur 
definition. 

On May 11, 1878, the Bicycle Union adopted the following 
negative definition of an amateur : ' That a professional bicycHst 
is one who has ridden a bicycle in public for money, or who has 
engaged, taught, or assisted in bicycling or any other athletic 
exercise for money, and that a bicyclist who shall have com- 
peted with a professional bicyclist for a prize knowingly and 
without protest (except at a meeting specially sanctioned by the 
Union), shall also be considered a professional bicyclist. Any 
person not included in the above definition shall be considered 
an amateur bicyclist' This definition, ignoring as it did the 
social qualification as regards the amateur athlete, gave rise to 
an immense amount of discussion, and the cyclists were 
threatened with ostracism by some of the older followers of 
sport. 

Two very important clubs, the Wanderers B.C. and the 
Temple B.C., both withdrew their support from the Union, and 
the movements of certain athletic clubs made confusion worse 
confounded, threats of protest being heard on all sides against 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION 283 

the cycling division, who had thus taken this bold step in 
advance of the older branches of athletic sport. Like Lord 
Howard when he boldly chased the ships of the Armada with- 
out any powder, simply showirg a ' brag countenance,' so the 
newly born association boldly faced the storm, and even left 
its intrenchments to encounter the foe in the open. Without 
altering its course or modifying its energy, the B.U., as it was 
conveniently termed, next attacked the Amateur Athletic Club 
Championship of Four Miles, declining to recognise it as a 
bond fide championship, and decidmg to replace it by two 
championships of its own, the Two and Twenty-five Miles, 
which were duly brought off on May 11, 1878, at Stamford 
Bridge. Excellent contests ensued, the races being supported 
by the best riders of the day. The Two J^Iiles fell to the Hon. 
Ion Keith-Falconer, of Cambridge, and the Twenty-five Miles 
to Mr. A. A. Weir, of the 'Dark Blue' or Oxford University 
B.C. The fact that the University men competed, owing 
doubtless to the influence of I\Ir. Cobb, had much to do with 
the ultimate success of the Union Championships. Up to this 
point the work of the Union had been nearly all internal 
amongst the cycling community, and comparatively plain 
sailing, but in July of this year the Highways Act, 1878, was 
brought before Parliament, and an amendment was proposed 
which would have entirely checked the use of the bicycle on 
the highways ; consequently the Union was called upon to act 
promptly. Mr. Hutchens, a member of the London B. C, 
accepted the post of solicitor to the Union, and by instant and 
energetic action eventually secured the rejection of the amend- 
ment, mainly through the good offices of Sir Henry Jackson, 
M.P. for Coventry (the home of the wheel), and of the President 
of the Local Government Board, Mr. Sclater Booth. This 
action did the now growing association much service, and the 
support accorded to it rapidly increased. With characteristic 
boldness, the Union then authorised a contest between the 
best amateurs and professionals of the day. The event came 
off on October 23 at Cambridge, when the Hon. Ion Keith- 



284 CYCLING, 

Falconer beat John Keen in a five- mile race. It would be un- 
grateful not to record the fact that the countenance accorded to 
the Union by the Universities was of great value at this period, 
as the University athletes were strong enough, numerically and 
morally, to give great aid to any cause they espoused. 

The association was now at leisure to turn its attention to 
internal reform. It was found that there were many outside 
riders who would willingly join if they could, and a modification 
of the constitution was absolutely necessary. It was felt that to 
be a truly representative body it should be open to all interested 
in the welfare of the sport. Four championships were instituted, 
at I, 5, 25, and 50 miles, and in the year 1879 the whole four 
were won by ]\Ir. Herbert Liddell Cortis of the Wanderers' 
B.C., the contests being all run off at Stamford Bridge. The 
Union also decided to appoint an official handicapper, a very 
wise step, and Mr. Martin D. Rucker of the London B.C. 
accepted the office, an event which without doubt assisted the 
growth and development of the Union. In this year the 
Union promoted three races between John Keen, the profes- 
sional champion, and Mr. H. L. Cortis, the amateur champion, 
the distances being i, 5, and 25 miles; Mr. Cortis won the first 
race at Wolverhampton, the 25 miles, but Keen won both the 
I and 5. 

Up to the end of 1880 the Union continued to gather 
strength, but the support was all, or nearly all, obtained from 
London men, the provincial cyclists looking on the cycling 
body as purely a London chque, despite frequent disclaimers 
on the part of the officials. One source of trouble was the 
general meeting of the Bicycle Touring Club, held in London. 
At this meeting the discussion grew somewhat warm, as the 
original constitution of the Touring Club, like that of the Union, 
was by no means equal to its after development, and it unfor- 
tunately happened that certain unpopular resolutions were put 
forward by London men and regarded by the provincial 
members present as an attempt to secure for the much objected 
to * London clique ' some of the power of the then B. T. C. 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 285 

Thus a feeling of opposition to the Union was created which it 
took a long while to live down, but though the fears then 
entertained have since proved without foundation, the effect was 
the same as if they had been solid facts. It came to be 
daily more obvious that the Union required the support of 
the vast number of cyclists scattered throughout the country, 
and the activity of the newly- formed Amateur Athletic Associa- 
tion stirred the then officials of the Union to renewed action. 
In October 1880, therefore, Mr. G. L. Hillier, of the Stanley 
C.C, brought forward a scheme for the establishment of 
branches of the Union, under the title of ' Local Centres ' in 
various important districts in the country. The scheme was of 
course very much modified w^hen it was first considered, but 
it was eventually adopted, the provisions of the original plan 
having been in the main adhered to. The ' Local Centre ' is a 
practically autonomous committee charged with the control of 
a specified district and subject only to the ruling of the execu- 
tive, elected from the delegates of the local centres themselves. 
The scheme was soon put into practical working order, Mr. 
Hillier being the first local centre secretary, and strong branches 
of the Union have been established throughout the length and 
breadth of the land. Many details of the scheme were, of 
course, found to be incomplete in practical working, but the 
general plan has proved an unqualified success, and the 
accession of numbers to the ranks of the Union has been very 
great, whilst the centres have sent good men to the council and 
have also worked in the most commendable manner for the 
true interests of amateur sport. The following are the rules 
at present in force as regards the formation and managenient 
of local centres. 

Rules relating to Local Centres. 

1. The executive shall, from time to time, elect one or more of 
their members divisional secretaries for local centres, and shall allot 
to them such districts as shall seem advisable. 

2. The divisional secretary shall (whenever it is desirable to 
form a local centre) nominate a hon. stc. pro tevi. 



286 CYCLING. 

3. The hon. sec. pro tern, shall call a ' local general meeting 'of 
all cyclists in the neighbourhood, and a formal motion to form a 
local centre shall be proposed. 

4. In the event of such motion being carried, the clubs joining 
shall each elect one representative to serv-e on the committee of the 
local centre. 

5. Every club having 50 members shall also be entitled to a 
second representative, and every club having more than 50 members 
shall be entitled to an additional representative for every additional 
50 members. 

6. Members not represented through clubs shall be entitled to one 
representative for every 25 members who shall combine to obtain 
representation. 

7. The committee at their first meeting shall proceed to elect 
a chairman and hon. sec, not necessarily from among their own 
number. 

8. The hon, sec. shall, as soon as possible, forward full details 
of the formation of the local centre, together with names and 
addresses of the chairman, hon. sec, and committee to his divi- 
sional secretary. 

9. The divisional secretary shall, at the next meeting of the 
executive, report the formation of the local centre for ratification. 

10. The committee shall meet not less than four times in the 
year, and oftener if required. 

11. The committee first appointed, and the chairman and hon. 
sec. elected by them, shall hold office till the 30th of A.pril next 
ensuing. 

12. Before the ist of May in each year, ever>' club belonging to 
the local centre shall send in to the hon, sec of the centre — {a) The 
names and addresses of its representatives on the committee of the 
centre for the ensuing year (such representatives need not be 
members of the club they represent) ; {b) The number of members 
of the club, {c) The capitation fees for such members. 

13. Between the ist and 20th of April a general meeting of all 
members of the local centre shall be held to receive the report of 
the outgoing officers and committee, and for general purposes of 
discussion. Not less than fourteen days' notice of such meeting 
shall be given to the hon. sec. of each club (whose duty it shall be 
to communicate such notice to the members of his club), and to 
each unattached member of the centre. 

14. The newly appointed committee shall hold a meeting as soon 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION, 287 

as possible after the ist of May in each year, at which they shall 
elect a chairman and hon. sec. for the year (not necessarily mem- 
bers of their own body), and shall appoint the delegates of the 
local centre to the Council of the Union. 

15. The chairman and hon. sec. of each local centre shall be 
ex officio delegates to the Council of the Union. In addition, the 
committee shall elect delegates to the council (not necessarily 
members of the centre) in proportion to the number of their 
members, as follows : Fifty or less, two representatives ; and for 
every further complete fifty, one additional representative. 

16. The hon. sec. shall, before the 20th of May, furnish to his 
divisional secretary — {a) The names and addresses of the officers, 
committee, and delegates of the centre for the ensuing year, {b) 
A list of the clubs belonging to the centre, with their respective 
numbers of members, {c) A list of the unattached members of the 
centre. 

17. T' e hon sec. of each local centre shall make a report of the 
proceedings of all meetings to his divisional secretar}^, within ten 
days after such meeting. 

18. Clubs joining a local centre after a general meeting shall 
appoint a representative or representatives to the committee, in 
accordance with rules 4 and 5, to hold office until the 30th of April 
then next ensuing. 

19. Should the numbers of the centre increase between two 
annual general meetings so as to entitle the centre to an additional 
delegate or delegates to the Council, the committee shall thereupon 
appoint such delegate or delegates, and the hon. sec. shall forth- 
with forward the name or names of such delegate or delegates to his 
divisional secretary. 

20. Clubs belonging to the Union shall have the option of 
appointing delegates direct to the Council of the Union, or of join- 
ing a local centre. 

21. The hon. sec. of each local centre shall receive all subscrip- 
tions due from clubs and unattached members belonging to his centre. 

22. The hon. sec. shall forward half such subscriptions to his 
divisional secretary every quarter, towards the general expenses of 
the Union. 

23. The hon. sec. shall retain the other half of such subscriptions 
for the expenses of the centre, and shall forward a detailed cash 
statement to his divisional secretary on the 30th of April in each 
year. 



'288 CYCLING. 

24. The executive shall have power to make special grants to 
any local centre. A motion for such special grant shall not be 
brought forward without a week's written notice to all members of 
the executive. 

25. The committee shall transact all the Union business for 
the district, as defined by the resolution of the Council as follows, 
viz. : — ' Obtaining members, the erection of danger boards, the 
watching of bye-laws and local board action, the supervision of race 
meetings within the district, and the general conservation of cycling 
interests ; but any special business, such as assaults, legal cases, 
questions of amateur statics^ and applications in reference to 
amateur v. professional matches, shall be referred to the executive 
with full particulars of same.' 

26. Any person feeling himself aggrieved by any action of a 
local centre, shall have the right to appeal to the executive of the 
Union, and from them to the Council of the Union. 

27. The executive shall have full power over all proceedings of 
local centres, including their dissolution if necessary, subject to an 
appeal to the Council, and may add to or amend these rules as may 
seem desirable. 

As will be gathered from a perusal of these rules, each local 
centre is practically a local union banded w^ith other local 
unions for the purposes of more complete supervision and co- 
operation, and the local centres scheme, with the exception 
above alluded to, has proved a success. 

These rules, with considerable modifications from time to 
time, have resulted in the establishment of a network of centres 
extending over the whole of the country, and have proved of 
notable benefit to the Union. The centre formed at Bristol, 
for Bristol and the West of England, has simply assumed the 
completest control over the whole of its very large district. 
Birmingham has also a local centre which has done good 
service to the Union. It started the agitation for improved 
roads, which has accomplished so much to bring the ruling 
body of cycling prominently and favourably before the general 
public, and has always worked energetically for the furtherance 
of union interests. In Liverpool the second local centre 
exceeds numerically the first one estabhshed in the district — 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 2S5 

which for reasons which need not now be specified was dissolved 
— and the record of the body is excellent. In Newcastle, 
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton, 
Portsmouth, centres of the Union exist, and aid the cause 
of the sport. The organisation which has thus enabled the 
cychsts of the United Kingdom to work together in opposing 
any attempt to interfere with the government of their own 
sport has much to commend it. 

When tricycling as a distinct branch of the sport began 
to come prominently to the front, the want of some ruling 
association for the tricyclist division was felt, and as the 
Bicycle Union was composed mainly of bicyclists, the tricycling 
section established a body of their own, under the title of 
the * Tricycle Association.' As a number of the gentlemen con - 
nected with it had no practical acquaintance with the rules of 
sport, they were easily led into adopting a somewhat impractic- 
able definition, and after a comparatively short independent 
existence, the Tricycle Association, led by its secretary, Mr. 
Boverton Redwood of the Finchley T. C, threw in its lot 
with the Bicycle Union, the combined associations being 
known by the somewhat cumbrous title of the ' Bicycle Union 
v^ith which is incorporated the Tricycle Association.' The 
tricycling section at this time were mostly what are sometimes 
known as * family men' and elderly riders, and these gentlemen 
were not sorry to relieve themselves of the necessity of attend- 
ing committee meetings, and such like useful but irksome 
gatherings. The management naturally therefore fell into the 
hands of the younger men, mostly at that time bicyclists. 
Difficulties arose into the history of which, however, it would 
be worse than useless to enter. The election of Lord Bury to 
the post of president, which he has ever since held, was marked 
as an era in the history of the Union, the president being a 
practical cyclist who took an active interest in the questions of 
the day. The desirability of having one governing body for 
the two varieties of the sport was apparent, and ultimately 
the Bicycle Union, acting on the suggestion of its president, 

u 



290 CYCLING. 

decided to change its name and to adopt a title which would 
cover all classes of velocipedes, to use an old but compre- 
hensive term. Accordingly in June 1883, after a lengthy 
debate, the original style and title of the Union was changed to 
that under which it is now known, viz. the National Cyclists' 
Union. 

This was both politic and necessary, as the Union at that 
time included in its ranks a large majority of tricycling clubs, 
and a still larger majority of tricyclists, who were attached to 
the various mixed clubs in the kingdom ; and thus the word 
' bicycle,' which had long been an eyesore to the tricycling 
section, w^as replaced by a name which will cover every sort 
of cycle which may in the future be placed upon the market. 

From October 1883, when the present president of the 
N. C. U. assumed office, the work went on vigorously for ' the 
conservation of the interests of cycling,' to quote the oft re- 
peated phrase. At this period the opening of the pubHc parks 
to wheel traffic was attracting much attention, and the president 
of the N. C. U. was successful in securing an experimental 
extension of certain privileges to all wheels, with results which 
were in every way satisfactory. County government and high- 
way bills and other enactments, which might directly or in- 
directly affect the right of w^heelmen on the roads, were carefully 
watched and action was taken when required. Dangerous 
gratings placed in the streets were reported on, and notices were 
issued to the vestries responsible for the arrangement, that they 
would be held liable for any accidents which might result there- 
from. Danger boards were erected, in conjunction with the 
C.T.C , at the top of dangerous hills; these 'boards' being sohd 
plates of iron bearing the words 'To cyclists, this hill is danger- 
ous,' and there is little doubt that these warning notices, w^hich 
are now to be found all over the country, have been of material 
service to the large class of touring riders. A reserve fund for 
use in cases of severe emergency was established and taken 
charge of by Major-General Christopher, a member of the 
executive whose energetic efforts on its behalf are worthy of all 






s,' H -'Mwy/^ 







^W. 



"Ir', 



^',-; 



■.yWm 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 291 

recognition. Tlie fund amounted in the spring of 1886 to some 
300/., and of course frequent additions are being made to it 
from time to time. Assault cases have been taken up with a 
considerable amount of success, due to a great extent to the 
care which is exercised by the members of the executive who 
belong to the legal profession, prominent amongst them being 
the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Robert Todd of the Stanley 
C. C. The question of road repair, started by the Birming- 
ham local centre, has developed into a work of absolutely 
national importance. Many roadways, since the old coaches 
passed away, have been allowed to fall steadily into disrepair, 
and no effort was made to keep them in anything like a sound 
condition. This decay reached its maximum in the Birmingham 
district, and cyclists and others who had the misfortune to 
traverse the roads in question found them in a perfectly dis- 
graceful state. The Birmingham local centre therefore called 
a meeting of persons interested in the question, over which the 
Mayor of Birmingham presided, and the strange spectacle of the 
hitherto despised cychst heading a motion of reform and suppor- 
ted by a number of horse owners and drivers, showed how wise 
and politic a step had been taken. The road surveyors were at 
first inclined to regard the matter as a piece of impertinence 
on the part of the cyclists, some of them remarking that they 
were not called upon to make the roads good enough for that 
class of machine ; but the result of an action brought on behalf 
of the Union against eight road surveyors at the Halesowen 
Court speedily convinced them that the cyclists were in the 
right, and held powers sufficient to compel them to do the 
work. Since then this fact has been brought home rather 
forcibly to the understandings of many similar officials, and the 
improvement in the roads in some places is very noticeable. 
Mr. H. R. Reynolds, of the London and Oxford Bicycle Clubs, 
has gone very fully into the question of the right method of 
road-making, and has in an able article in the ' Nineteenth 
Century ' and in letters to the public and cycling press, pointed 
out how little the systems of Telford and Macadam are followed 

u 2 



292 CYCLING. 

even on roads which are described as ' Macadamised.' In a 
pamphlet containing the gist of his remarks and advice, pre- 
pared at the instance of the N.C.U., Mr. Reynolds demonstrates 
clearly the saving in the rates which would accrue from an in- 
telligent adoption of Macadam's system ; and sho^ys further the 
very expensive nature of the unsatisfactory methods nowadopted. 
The result is that these facts are being daily brought before 
the most interested section of the pubUc, viz., the ratepayers, 
and the day is not far distant when the persons v/ho pay the 
piper will insist on the appointment of intelligent road surveyors, 
who are acquainted with the best and most scientific methods 
of road construction, instead of, as is too often the case, 
supinely permitting the election of any ignorant or careless 
person who wnll undertake to dump certain cartloads of rubbish 
haphazard over the highways. One of the surveyors who was 
interviewed by a Union official admitted that he had never 
heard of Telford or Macadam, and did not know who they 
were or what they had done. 

In addition to these, and many other matters affecting the 
majority of the cycling community, the road riders, the Union 
also assumes control of cycle racing throughout the country. 
The most important item in the racing work of the N. C. U. is 
the promotion of the annual amateur championships, which are 
duly recognised in the world of sport, and have completely 
replaced all the previous competitions that claimed to confer 
the honour. The first championships were held at Stamford 
Bridge on May ii, 1878, the distances chosen being 2 and 25 
miles. In the first heat of the shorter race Mr. G. F. Beck 
won somewhat easily from Messrs. W. T. Thorn and E. York, 
whilst the Hon. Ion Keith Falconer walked over in the second. 
In the final Keith Falconer led throughout, and holding 
Beck safe won in 6 minutes 30, 1- seconds. Much regret was 
expressed at the absence of j\Ir. AVadham Wyndham, who was 
fancied to win right out. The 25 mile race fell to ^Ir. A. A. Weir 
of the Oxford University B.C. in i hour 27 mins. 47? sees. — a 
best on record at that date ; 1878 saw the practical extinction 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 253 

of the 4 Miles Bicycle Championship hitherto promoted by the 
Amateur Athletic Club, and the Union then launched out in 
1879, ^^d established four bicycling championships at i, 5, 25, 
and 50 miles. 

In 1882 it was considered advisable to establish a tricycle 
championship, and one was run over a distance of 5 miles and 
won by C. E. Liles. In 1883 the championships for tricycling 
were increased to two, the distances being i and 10 miles ; 
whilst in 18S4 three championships were run, i, 5 and 25 Mile 
Tricycle Championships being established. A complete record 
down to 1886 of all the championships run will be found at the 
end of this chapter. 

These events, the blue ribands of the cycling path, have 
yearly attracted more and more attention, and the best men of 
the year and of the country are usually to be found competing. 
In 1885, however, Percy Furnivall, who was no doubt absolutely 
the fastest rider of the season, for some reason refrained from 
competing in any of the bicycle championships, although 
he won the i Mile Tricycle Championship in a marvellous 
manner, beating record in his heat and winning, after running 
a dead heat with Percy Letchford of the Finchley T. C. ; the 
wonderful part of the affair being that it was absolutely 
Mr. Furnivall's first race on a tricycle, on which he had ridden 
but very few times previously to the championship. As Mr. 
Furnivall subsequently beat the men whom he would have met 
in the shorter bicycling championships, in still more decisive 
style, there is very htde doubt that, had he started for those 
contests, he would have held the i and 5 Miles Championships 
of 1885. One of the most interesting of the great races 
run has each year been the 25 Miles Tricycle Champion- 
ship. On its first establishment in 1884 it was contested at 
Lillie Bridge upon the new track, and a very representative 
entry was secured. The race fell to C. E. Liles after a very 
hardly fought contest, H. J. Webb being second, S. Lee 
third, and George Smith fourth. The pace was very fast 
from the first, and record was beaten from the 12th mile. 



394 CYCLING. 

Hebblethwaite cut out the pace, but Lctchford, from whom 
much was expected, broke his machine and had to retire ; in 
the i6th mile Lilcs drew away from Webb and estabhshed 
a long lead, and at one time looked as if he was going to 
lap his opponent, but in the 19th mile it was Liles' turn to 
become weak, and this, with a touch of cramp, made him go 
slowly. Webb's friends seeing this encouraged the latter, and 
he made a desperate effort to overtake Liles, who, however, 
got better in the 22nd mile, and riding with great determination 
to the end won by 19 seconds. 

In 1885 the 25 Miles Tricycle Championship run at the 
Crystal Palace again afforded the spectators a rare treat, and as 
record was made the year before, so was record again beaten on 
this occasion. An excellent entry was secured, no less than 
14 riders, comprising the pick of the cychng world, facing the 
starter. John Lee of Clay Cross dashed away as the pistol 
cracked, and was soon cutting out the running at a fast pace, 
whilst from amongst the crowd the brown headgear of the 
University man (^Gatehouse), and the flaming red jockey 
cap of English, from Tyneside, were to be seen creeping 
cautiously to the front ; Cripps, capless as usual, and Cousens, 
with a white handkerchief bound round his head, were also 
early to the fore, and this quintette raced rapidly away from 
the rank and file. John Lee secured the two miles record, 
6 minutes 21 seconds, and Robert Cripps the three miles 
record, 9 minutes 38 seconds. But English and Gatehouse, 
though not letting their men get away from them, were yet riding 
carefully and without the sharp spurting which the others had 
indulged in. At six miles the pace had begun to tell seriously, 
Cousens, Cripps, Sid Lee, and others tailing off; whilst George 
Gatehouse, coached by his trainer Charley Wilson (the Crystal 
Palace track-man), was forcing the running at a fast but 
regular pace. Occasionally one or other of his opponents 
would spurt by him and get a few yards ahead, but his steady 
and powerful style very soon caused the leader to fall back and 
again resign the post of pacemaker to him. At 1 1 miles record 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 295 

again began to fall, Cripps beating the previous figures by 16 
seconds, whilst Gatehouse without an undue effort secured the 
1 2th mile ; English the 13th, and then Gatehouse the i4t]i, 
15th, i6th, and 17th miles. He covered 17 miles 986 yards 
within the hour, another best on record. The 21st mile fell to 
English and then Gatehouse scored every mile up to the finish. 
At 22 miles only English and Gatehouse had a chance, and both 
were riding with due caution, Gatehouse cutting out the pace 
and the North Shields man waiting on his hind wheels as lap 
after lap was reeled off. The spectators, who formed a goodly 
crowd, were worked up to fever heat. At throe laps from home 
Gatehouse bent to his work, and to the horror of his friends 
appeared to make his effort, crowding a lot of pace on and 
riding as if he imagined that it was the last lap. English on 
the other hand, very cool and collected, hung on to him, and 
those who had been predicting a \\m for the Cantab began to 
feel rather uncomfortable. Two more laps were called, and still 
Gatehouse was sw^inging along as if he was bent upon settling 
himself before the final rush, but a very happy smile at Furnivall 
who cheered him from the rails, revealed the fact that he had not 
as yet overdone it. English, on the contrary, looked rather 
drawn ; and the excitement grew in intensity as the men dashed 
round the far side and came rushing round by the dressing- 
room. ' Last lap ! ' is cried, the bell rings, when with a mar- 
vellous if ill-timed effort, English rushes up outside the leader, 
and the hearts of the Cambridge men sink as he slips past 
Gatehouse before the latter appreciates what has happened, 
and takes the inside berth. But for once in a way the big 
Tynesider has made a mistake. Gatehouse pulls himself 
together, and riding in possibly better form than he has shown 
all through, hotly pursues English. As the pair approach the 
wide clump of tall reed which momentarily hide the competi- 
tors at the Crystal Palace track from the occupants of the grand 
stand. Gatehouse is seen to be riding hard — they disappear 
and there is a momentary pause of expectancy, then a loud 
shout of applause, as Gatehouse emerges with a slight lead of 



295 CYCLING. 

English. Neck and neck the two men ride to the entrance 
gate, 200 yards or so from the finish, English riding very wide 
by accident, and driving his opponent's off wheel on to the 
turf. Then, with a well-saved effort. Gatehouse draws out and 
wins one of the most exciting races by nearly 20 yards in i hour 
26 minutes 29 1 seconds, a best on record. 

Such contests as these may be expected in the future in the 
championships promoted by the N. C. U., seeing that the best 
men from all parts of the kingdom are sure to compete, and 
the man who attains the highest honours of the racing path 
under the auspices of the Union will have to show to perfection 
every quality necessary in a racing man. 

In its deahngs with the racing path theN.C.U. was brought, 
early in 1885, into hostile contact with the Amateur Athletic 
Association. The Liverpool local centre of the Union had been 
for some time in a dissatisfied state, its rulers claiming for it the 
exercise of powers which would have made it practically inde- 
pendent of the supreme executive, and as such a policy could 
by no means be recognised, the executive felt bound to refuse 
the powers asked. These and other events produced an estrange- 
ment between the Metropolitan body and the first Liverpool 
loca' centre, whose members concerned themselves mostly with 
racing matters in the Liverpool district. 

Into this bygone dispute, and the circumstances which led 
to the summoning of a general meeting of the A. A. A. Committee 
at Anderton's Hotel on January 16, 1886, it would be un- 
profitable to enter. On that date, however, important events 
took place. A treaty was duly agreed to, securing to the N. C. U. 
all the points it claimed. This treaty recognised the right of 
the Union to rule cyclists, as such, and this was and is the sole 
claim which the N. C. U. made in this matter, and the position 
of the N. C. U. is now most fully admitted on all hands. The 
rules of the body run as follows : — 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 297 



Regulations for the Government of Race Meetings held 
UNDER the Rules of the N.C.U. 

// is strongly recommended that all Competitions he confined to Amateurs 
ENTRIES. 

1. All cycle races shall be held under the rules of the National 
Cyclists' Union. 

2. The committee resen^e the right of refusing to receive, and 
having received, of cancelling any entry before the start, without 
giving any reason for so doing. All entries shall be accompanied 
by the entrance fee, but in case any entry shall have been accepted 
without the fee, and the competitor shall refuse or neglect to pay it 
when called upon to do so, whether he actually ride in the race or 
not, he shall be liable to suspension. 

3. Competitors in handicaps shall be required to send, with 
their entries, a statement that they are amateurs according to the 
definition of the N. C. U., and also full and definite particulars of 
their last three performances. Furnishing false, misleading or in- 
complete information shall be a ground for disqualification, and in 
the event of a prize being won, will render the winner liable to 
prosecution. 

Note. — // is recom7ne?ided that the N. C. U. entry forms {ob- 
tainable at the rate of 2s. 6d. per 100 at the Offices^ 17 Iron- 
monger La7te^ E.C) beused^ as they suggest clearly what i?if or mat ion 
is required by the handicapper. 

4. All entries must be made and races run in the real name of 
the competitor. 

PRIZES. 

5. All prizes should be purchased /rz^r to the date of the meet- 
ing, and when practicable, engraved with the name and date of the 
meeting. 

6. It is recommended that no prize be offered above the value 
of ten guineas ; except for challenge cups or shields or the like, 
which have to be won more than once in order to become the pro- 
perty of the winner. 

7. Clubs or others offering challenge prizes, subject to a guaran- 
tee for their return, must, if required, state explicitly to each in- 
tending competitor the exact nature of the guarantee required, and 



298 CYCLING, 

in case any difficulty shall arise, in arranging the terms, the decision 
of the N. C. U. executive in the matter shall be accepted by all 
parties as final. 

ATTENDANTS. 

8. One attendant only shall be allowed to each competitor in 
any race, but no machine other than a bicycle shall be started by 
an attendant. 

9. The judge shall have power to act as he may think fit in cases 
of misconduct by attendants. 

PROTESTS. 

10. Any objection respecting foul riding, starting off a wrong 
mark, or other such like offence, committed during the race, shall 
be made to the judge as soon as possible after the heat, and before 
the distribution of prizes ; and all other protests against competi- 
tors, respecting their status as amateurs or otherwise, must be 
lodged with the committee before the prizes are distributed, and if 
possible before the race is run. 

11. All protests must be made in writing, signed by the objector, 
and accompanied by a deposit of 5^., which will be forfeited if the 
protest be considered a frivolous one. 

12. In the event of a protest or objection being lodged against a 
successful competitor, his prize shall be withheld until the judge or 
committee, as the case may be, shall have decided whether he is, or is 
not, entitled to the same. In the latter case, the first prize shall be 
given to the second man, the second prize to the third man, and 
so on. 

STARTING. 

13. A bell shall be rung before each heat ; and after sufficient 
time has been allowed for competitors to get to their allotted marks, 
a start will be effected. 

14. No competitor shall be allowed to start unless he wear 
half sleeves and complete clothing from the shoulders to the 
knees. 

15. Attendants, when pushing off competitors, must keep both 
feet behind the mark from which the competitor actually starts. 
Should the attendant cross such mark with either foot while start- 
ing such competitor, the competitor shall be liable to disquaHfi- 
cation. 

16. In starting, the /^r^;;/^j/ /c??-/ of the competitor's machine 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 299 

in contact \\'\'Ci\\\\Q: ground, must be placed on thai mark from which 
the competitor actually starts. 

17. Any competitor shall be at Hberty, with the consent of the 
judge, to start from a mark behind the one allotted him in the 
race ; but in such case, as in all others, the point of contact of the 
foremost part of the machine with the ground shall be considered 
the starting mark, which the attendant shall not overstep. 

18. Any competitor starting before the signal may be put 
back, at the discretion of the starter, not exceeding 10 yards for the 
race in question ; and on a repetition of the offence, shall be dis- 
qualified. It shall be the duty of each competitor to see that he 
starts from his proper mark, and in default he may be disqualified 
for the race in question. A competitor, upon being disqualified, 
shall forfeit any fee or fees he may have paid. 

19. As far as possible the times on the programme shall be ad- 
hered to, but no heat may be started befoT-e the stated time except 
with the consent of all the competitors in such heat. 

20. In all races where more than one competitor starts from the 
same mark, lots shall be drawn by the competitors, who shall take 
precedence, counting from the inside of the track. 



ENCLOSURE. 

21. None but the officials of the meeting, the press, the com- 
petitors and attendants, shall be allowed within the enclosure, ex- 
cept by special permission of the secretary of the meeting. 

22. Competitors and their attendants shall be allowed within 
the enclosure only during the time between the heats preceding 
and following that in which they are engaged. 



GENERAL RULES. 

23. The committee have no power to alter handicaps, after 
having received them from the official handicapper. 

Note. — It is recommended that the N. C. U. handicapper for the 
district be employed; and that entries for handicap races be closed 
14 days before the race. 

24. Every conipetitor will receive, in the dressing-room, a 
ticket bearing a number corresponding with his number on the 
programme, which ticket must be worn by him in a conspicuous 
place during the race. It is recommended that in all cases the 



3CO CYCLING. 

ticket should be placed on the back of the competitor or of his 
machine. 

25. Competitors may dismount during a race at their pleasure, 
and may run with their machines, but they must keep to the extreme 
outside of the track whenever dismounted. 

26. A competitor overtaking another must always pass on the 
outside of the track (unless the man who is passed be dismounted 
or has retired from the contest), and must be a clear machine's 
length ahead before taking ground in front of his opponent. The 
inside man must allow room for his opponent to pass, and any 
competitor guilty of foul or unfair riding shall be liable to disquali- 
fication. 

27. If a machine becomes disabled in the course of a race, the 
rider shall be allowed to use another, provided the substituted 
machine be not disapproved of by the judge. 

28. The committee reserve the power of postponing all or any 
of the races in cases where they think it necessary. On no account 
will entrance fees be returned, or expenses allowed, to any compe- 
titor in case of such postponement. 

29. The committee reserve the right of adjudicating on any 
questionable entry and on any other point not provided for, and of 
making any alteration in the programme that they may deem 
necessary. 

30. All tracks shall be measured 12 inches from the inner side 
of the path, and all races shall be run left-hand inside when 
possible. 

31. The finish of all races shall be judged by \}cv^ first part of 
the macJiiiie which touches the tape, which shall be fastened flat on 
the ground, at the winning post. 

OFFICIALS. 

32. The officials shall consist of judge, umpires, starter, time- 
keeper or time-keepers, clerks of the course, lap-scorers, and the 
members of the race committee (including the secretary of the 
meeting). 

2)2,. It shall be the duty of the judge to declare the placed m.en 
in every heat ; to instruct the umpires ; to give judgment on pro- 
tests received by him ; to act as he may think fit in cases of mis- 
conduct by attendants, and to disqualify any competitors who have 
become liable to disqualification. His decision shall in all cases 
be final. 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 301 

Note. — As under these 7'icles the duties of the judge are of a 
jnost important character^ an experienced rider should be chosen for 
the post. 

34. The judge shall have the power of refusing to allow any 
person to act as attendant who has infringed the rules, or refused 
to submit to his ruling. 

35. In starting scratch races, the judge shall give his instructions 
to the competitors and attendants, and shall sje that the men are 
placed in position, after having caused them to draw lots ; and 
every competitor shall go to the mark so drawn, and any refusing 
to do so shall be liable to be disqualified by the judge. 

36. It shall be the duty of the umpires to watch the riding, and 
to report to the judge any competitor or competitors whose riding 
they consider unfair ; and it shall also be the duty of the umpires 
to watch the starting, and to report to the starter any competitor or 
competitors whose starting they consider unfair. 

'ij. It shall be the duty of the starter, when it has been reported 
to him by a clerk of the course that all the competitors are ready, 
to see that the time-keeper is warned, and before starting the men 
to say ' Mount,' in a few seconds after to say ' Are you ready ? ' and 
if no reply to the contrary be given, to effect the start by report of 
pistol. 

38. The starter may, at his discretion, put back, to a distance 
not exceeding 10 yards, any competitor starting before the signal is 
given, and on a repetition of the offence shall disqualify him. 

39. In case of a false start, the competitors shall be called back 
by the starter and re-started. Any competitor refusing to obey the 
starter shall be at once disqualified by him. 

40. All questions as to starts in handicap races shall be in the 
absolute discretion of the starter. 

41. It shall be the duty of the time-keeper or time- keepers to 
take the times of the first in each heat, and such other times as the 
secretary of the meeting may have previously arranged. 

42. It shall be the duly of the clerks of the course to call over 
the names of the competitors in the dressing-room before the start- 
ing of each heat ; to ring the bell shortly before the time that each 
heat should be started, and at the commencement of the last lap in 
each heat ; and to see that the competitors are on their appointed 
marks, and have their numbers properly exhibited. 

43. It shall be the duty of the lap scorers to check the number 
of laps ridden by every competitor, and to give the distance ridden 



302 CYCLING. 

by any competitor at any point when requested to do so by time- 
keeper or judge. 

44. It shall be the duty of the race committee to appoint the 
officers, to conduct generally the business of the meeting, and to 
adjudicate on any points not provided for. 

45. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the meeting, under 
the direction of the committee, to see that the various officials are 
at their respective posts before the first race is started, to provide 
for any contingency that may arise, and generally to conduct the 
meeting. 

46. The judge, umpires, starter and time-keepers shall not be 
permitted to compete in any race with which they are officially 
connected. 

47. The judge and starter shall have the power to disqualify 
competitors without any protest being lodged by any other compe- 
titor. 

The foregoing 7'egulations are subject to revision by the executive 
of the N. C. U.^ which reserves to itself the right of adjudicating on 
any case of dispute or appeal. 

Note. — In all races stated to be held under the rules of the 
N. C. U., it shall be assumed {unless otherwise duly appearing) that 
the foregoing regulations are in force ^ a?td applicable. 

DEFINITIONS OF MACHINES. 

The following machines are eligible for cycle races held under 
N. C. U. rules :— 

1. For Bicycle Races. Any two-wheeled one-tracked machine, 
carrying one rider. 

2. For Tricycle Races. Any machine three or more wheeled, 
two or more tracked, carrying one rider. 

3. For Safety Bicycle Races. Any two-wheeled one-tracked 
machine, carrying one rider, and fulfilling the special conditions 
laid down by the race committee or promoters of the sport, 

4. For Ta?tdein Bicycle Races. Any two-wheeled one-tracked 
machine, carrying two riders. 

5. For Tandem Tricycle Races. Any three or more wheeled, 
two or more tracked machine, carrying two riders, seated one 
directly behind the other. 

6. For Sociable Tricycle Races. Any three or more wheeled 
two or more tracked machine, carrying two riders, seated side 
by side. 



THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 303 

7. For Double 'Tricycle Races. Any three or more wheeled, 
two or more tracked machine, carrying two riders. 

Note. — No machine which cannot be included in one of the 
above classes may be used in cycle races held under N. C. U. rules. 

Any rider desirous of using a machine in any class of other 
than one of the patterns now ordinarily recognised in that class, 
must obtain permission to do so from the executive of the N. C. U. 

DEFINITION OF A NOVICE. 

A Novice, or person eligible to compete in a Novices' or 
Maiden race, is a rider who has never, up to the time of starting 
in such race, won any prize in any cycling race other than a race 
confined to members of his club. In any quahfied novices' race 
such as a race open to those who have not won a first prize, the 
definition of a novice as contained in the foregoing definition shall 
still be held to apply, so far as circumstances admit. 



3^4 



CYCLING. 



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THE NATIONAL CYCLISTS' UNION. 



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3o6 CYCLING. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE cyclists' TOURING CLUB. 

The Cyclists' Touring Club \vas originally founded on 
August 5, 18785 as the Bicycle Touring Club, being the out- 
come of a number of letters and suggestions which had from 
time to time found their way into the Cycling Press. The 
Bradford Bicycle Club and a number of north country clubs 
took up the idea with characteristic energy, and under their 
auspices Mr. Stanley J. A. Cotter ell as honorary secretary was 
enabled to get the new association into shape, and to carry it 
on for some time. Its very rapid growth, however, soon caused 
it to outgrow the original scheme, and a certain amount of 
laxity having crept into the administration, troubles were fre- 
quent, and the Bicycle Touring Club, as it was called, was not 
growing at the rate which it should have done. Changes were 
tried ; new secretaries were appointed, and many efforts were 
made to carry the club over the dead point, and at length, 
after some stormy meetings, the work was done, and the Bicycle 
Touring Club began to go ahead on the new basis. Walter D. 
Welford was for some time secretary, and under his care the 
club prospered, until history repeated itself, and the machinery 
was found inadequate for the full discharge of the business 
required of it, and there again occurred dissensions and trou- 
bles, until at length it became obvious that another move 
would have to be made. The club had long possessed an 
organ known as the ' Monthly Circular,' and this, after being 
edited by Mr. E. R. Shipton for some time, was on his sugges- 



THE CYCLISTS' TOURING CLUB. 307 

tion named the ' Gazette,' enlarged, and made into what is 
practically a monthly club magazine. The work of the hon- 
orary editor soon became practically overwhelming, and Mr. 
Shipton, in justice to himself, was contemplating the resignation 
of the office, when the train of circumstances above alluded 
to brought matters to a crisis. A new^ secretary was wanted, 
and just when the council was at their wits' ends to find a 
suitable and reliable man, it was found that Mr. Shipton w^ould 
be open to an offer. Seeing that this gentleman was already 
^Yell known to the council for his very complete acquaintance 
with the work of the club, and also for his untiring energy 
in the discharge of his honorary duties, there need be little 
wonder that they soon came to terms with him, and he was 
duly installed as secretary and editor of the Bicycle Touring 
Club. Since then Mr. Shipton has conclusively demonstrated 
his fitness for the post, and the prosperity of the Cychsts' 
Touring Club may be dated from his accession to office. 

As it at present stands, the Cychsts' Touring Club is the 
largest athletic association in the world. Numbering over 
20.000 members, its objects are best set forth in the prospectus 
of the club, which runs as follows : — 

As an essentially conservative nation, it is hardly a matter for 
surprise that Englishmen should have received with suspicion, 
which rapidly degenerated into factious opposition, the advent of 
the bicycle a decade and a half ago. Anything that tends to 
antagonise with the cherished traditions and old-fashioned habits 
of the average Britisher, is, by the more unthinking sections of the 
community, speedily condemned, aye, even widiout a semblance 
of a fair trial ; and it therefore need hardly be wondered at that a 
mode of progression hitherto almost unheard of, and which ran 
counter to all preconceived methods, should have met with disfavour 
almost as soon as it was introduced. The dogged and unreason- 
ing opposition of one section of society is, however, generally 
counterbalanced by the equally characteristic determination of a 
second section to adhere to its opinion ' though the skies should 
fall,' and it fortunately happens that the art of bicycle riding 
was no exception to the general rule. A few of its persistent 
adherents remained steadfast in the belief of the capabilities of the 



3o8 CYCLING, 

new invention, and when by a combination of fortuitous circum- 
stances the wooden-wheeled vehicle of a dozen years since was 
superseded by the suspension and rubber-tired bicycle (which with 
countless improvements in detail remains in principle the same 
machine to the present day), the future of the two-wheeler was 
assured. 

With the establishment of a new pastime or sport, it was not 
long ere the shrewder of the people became alive to the advantages 
that followed in its wake, and that might, with a little ingenuity, 
be diverted into their channel. Foremost amongst these was the 
hotel proprietor in the country town, whose receipts had gradually 
diminished since the octopus-like feelers of the railway had pene- 
trated into the district, and diverted the traffic which formerly 
brought with it a handsome competence to himself, and to the 
keeper of each roadside hostelry. Recognising in the tourist on 
foot or on horseback a legitimate subject for the extortion of 'back- 
sheesh,' the same generous line for argument was extended to the 
touring wheelman, who, with hundreds of followers, was scouring 
the country in every direction in search of the novel, the grand, 
and the beautiful, whenever opportunity offered. Nor was this 
drawback the isolated bete noire of the cyclist, for the ill -concealed 
antipathy, culminating at times in undoubted brutality, of the 
remainder of the road-using community, who knew little of the 
capabilities, and less of the advantages, of the new method of loco- 
motion, was a patent and glaring concomitant. Added to these 
came the difficulty of obtaining reliable information of the nature 
of the route ahead — a route that often became treacherously un- 
serviceable — so that, to commit a plagiarism as well as concoct a 
parody, 'The rider's lot was not a happy one.' The old adage, 
"Tis a long lane that has no turning,' proved, however, to be 
applicable even here, and it was not long after the real resources 
of the steel steed were indubitably proved that there sprang into 
existence an organisation, the name of which is now a household 
word in every clime. Commencing with a desultory correspon- 
dence in the press which the new sport had called into existence 
for its own especial interest, a league or brotherhood, called the 
' Bicycle Touring Club,' was, at the North of England Meet held 
at Harrogate, Yorkshire, on August 5, 1878, inaugurated. 

The leading objects of its programme are : — 

To encourage and facilitate touring in all parts of the world. 

To protect its members against unprovoked assaults. 



THE CYCLISTS TOURING CLUB. 309 

To provide riding or touring companions. 

To secure and appoint at fixed and reduced rates hotel head- 
quarters in all parts of the country. 

To enlist the co-operation of a leading wheelman, who should 
act as a Consul in every town, and who should render to his fellow- 
members local information of every description. 

To inculcate and encourage an esprit de corps among the fol- 
lowers of the wheel, similar to freemasonry in social life. 

When the B. T. C. was formed, some four years and a half ago, 
the only pedomotive carriage which had approached such perfec- 
tion as to warrant one in supposing that it would establish itself as 
a permanent means of locomotion, destined to aid, if not entirely 
revolutionise, the somewhat tardy movements of mankind, was the 
bicycle — a machine, as its name implies, of two wheels only ; but 
the pleasures of the new method of transit once partaken of, what 
wonder was it that the inventive genius of our mechanical experts 
sought to solve the problem of throwing open the practice of 
wheeling to every age and temperament, and to the able-bodied 
among both sexes ? The difficulty once surmounted, it was still 
less a matter for surprise that the safer, if somewhat slower, 
machine — the tricycle — appealed irresistibly to thousands of 
gentlemen of mature years and methodical habits ; to the Clergy- 
man, the Doctor, the Lawyer, and every professional man, any 
and all of whom would have deemed — without good reason, if you 
will, but still not unnaturally — that the bestriding of a bicycle 
added not to their dignity of deportment ; and to ladies of lethargic 
dispositions and retiring proclivities, to whom the art of cycling 
had hitherto been a sealed and unintelligible volume, beckoning 
each to share in the blessings Hygeia, the goddess of our pastime, 
was waiting to shower broad-cast upon all comers. 

CycHng, as a national sport, to be indulged in by every class 
of the community, from the Queen upon the throne to the plodding 
artisan, has already taken a tenacious hold upon the sympathies of 
all unprejudiced people, and it is, perhaps, not too much to say 
that if the day has not already arrived, it is steadily and surely 
approaching, when, given a moderate endowment of health and 
strength, every soul within the confines of civilisation, where 
passable roads are by any means obtainable, may upon some one 
of the many modifications of the steel steed, in solitude or in com- 
pany, participate in this health-giving means of locomotion. These 
postulates being admitted, it has recently been, by a large majority) 



3IO CYCLING. 

decided that the B.T.C shall adopt a more comprehensive title — 
that of the Cyclists' Touring Club. 

The advantages of membership in it may be roughly summarised 
thus : — 

1. An unattached cyclist, who, until now, has been unable to 
avail himself of the company of other riders on a tour, may reckon 
with certainty on getting a companion suitable to his tastes, should 
he desire one ; whilst he will have the satisfaction of knowing that 
he is one of a large body bound together by the ties of good-fellow- 
ship — a body whose sole object is the encouragement of all that 
iS admirable in the art of wheeling. 

2. In small towns where there are insufficient riders to form a 
local club, it is becoming customary to seek admission to the 
Cyclists' Touring Club, when the members really form a kind of 
sub-division, and enjoy club privileges without the outlay attendant 
on belonging to a local club, such as cost of special uniform for a 
few only, rent of club rooms, &c. &c. 

3. It is par excellence the club for professional men. It not 
only includes in its roll many of the nobility and gentry in all parts 
of the land, it is supported by some of the highest dignitaries of 
the church, by members of the legal, medical, military, and naval 
professions, and indeed by amateur riders of any and all of the 
numerous types of cycles now in daily request, who produce cre- 
dentials showing that they belong to a respectable station in life. 
Membership in it combines all the manifold advantages of belong- 
ing to a local club with none of the disadvantages. 

4. Clubmen readily join, not only to receive company on a 
tour, and guidance and advice from the local Consuls, but to 
avail themselves of the admirable arrangements the Council has 
made with hotel proprietors throughout the country, whereby any 
member can calculate with tolerable certainty the cost of any 
proposed run ; and, better than all, can feel assured that at the 
different towns on his journey he will not only meet with civility 
and comfort, but he will be charged, at the hotels selected by the 
Cyclists' Touring Club, so moderate a tariff that he must inevitably 
save his subscription many times over on a run of only moderate 
length. 

To follow the progress of the club, and inquire how far it has 
fulfilled its mission, is merely to quote facts historical in the world 
of wheels. Essentially an utilitarian institution, at the present 
moment it boasts nearly 23,000 members, 1,030 consuls, and 2,160 



--^3VMW:5i 



'^^; 




THE CYCLISTS' TOURING CLUB. 311 

hotel head-quarters and recommended inns ; while added to this, it 
has successfully supported claims for redress in the case of its 
members who have suffered gratuitous insults and unprovoked 
assaults on the road, and combated the inequitable charges levied 
for the carriage of the rider's steed by the railway companies. Its 
feelers have penetrated the Continent, as well as encircled our 
island home, and it may be safely asserted that the time is fast ap- 
proaching when the rider of the iron horse, in any of its manifold 
modifications, who has emerged from his novitiate without hearing 
of the Cyclists' Touring Club will be a living curiosity. The 
subscription to its funds is altogether inconimensurate with the 
benefits it confers, and it behoves every lover of our sport to lend 
it his steadfast patronage. 

The promises of this prospectus are most fully carried out, 
and the cyclist who only tours for a few days in each year will 
derive the fullest benefit from membership. Putting aside the 
question of routes, the mere fact of a cycling consul being found 
in every town is of the greatest service to the rider who w^ants 
assistance or advice. The hotels chosen are in the majority of 
cases the most suitable for the use of the touring wheelman, 
although, of course, mistakes do occasionally occur. A com- 
plete and exhaustive hand-book is published, containing all the 
information as to hotels, consuls, repairing places, and so on, 
and each member of the club is thus enabled to go through the 
country without any assistance but this valued little guide-book. 

The Cyclists' Touring Club uniform, for both ladies and 
gentlemen, is a very popular costume with cyclists, as the cloth 
and other materials and articles of dress are all carefully chosen 
and of known quality. The Cyclists' Touring Club cloth is a 
most carefully chosen one, which has stood the test of several 
seasons' wear, whilst the Cyclists' Touring Club flannel is also 
very popular. The ladies' costume, which w^as decided upon at 
a specially called meeting of the lady members of the club, has 
proved very successful, and this is an especial boon to lady 
novices, who in the past were often sadly at a loss to know 
what to wTar. 

The consuls of the Cyclists' Touring Club, as the local 



312 



CYCLING. 



representatives are called, are now co-operating in the produc- 
tion of a road-book, and as each official will send to the editor 
a 7'esume of those roads only with which he is most intimately 
acquainted, the result cannot fail to be most satisfactory ; and 
as the writers are all users of the lightest vehicles on the high- 
ways, their acquaintance with the roads is bound to be of a 
most intimate character. The Cyclists' Touring Club has also 
co-operated actively with the Union in the very necessary work 
of erecting warning notices at the tops of dangerous hills, and 
also in the great effort at road reforms which the two bodies 
have been carrying on with such vigour during the last two 
seasons. The Cychsts' Touring Club is thus doing good public 
work, but its main policy is to look after the interests of its 
members, and this it does most fully. The subscription is 
2s. 6d. per annum, with an entrance fee of is. Or a life 
membership can be acquired on payment of 5/. 5^. The 
Cyclists' Touring Club has its offices at 140 Fleet Street, and 
is a body which every rider should support, 




MTJz/tf fieiSf, 0ea. — Homer. 



3»3 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE PRESS AND CYCLING LITERATURE. 

There is very little doubt in the minds of those who have 
been from the first connected with the sport of cycling that its 
very rapid development, and the growth of its now wide-spread 
popularity, were due mainly to the fact that from its nature and 
surroundings it was able to support, in a pecuniary sense, a 
number of papers and other publications, solely devoted to its 
interests, and also to induce many other publications, more or 
less identified with kindred pastimes, to devote a considerable 
portion of their space to the encouragement and consideration 
of cycling. The reason for this state of affairs is of course 
obvious ; the success of class journalism depends mainly on 
the advertisements, which indeed find the sinews of war for 
the vast majority of newspapers. Cycling is much better 
situated in this respect than other sports ; the maker of running 
shoes, or of swimming costumes alone, seldom spends much on 
advertisements, for it would take an immense sale of such 
articles to recoup a manufacturer for the considerable outlay 
which any serious amount of advertising would necessitate. 

A bicycle or tricycle, however, fetches from 15/. to 35/. or 
40/., and if a few purchasers are secured, the cost of many 
advertisements is repaid. It thus comes about that cycling is 
provided with a cheap, exhaustive, and essentially readable class 
ptess, which does much to popularise the sport and bind its 
votaries together. The advantages of such intercommunication 
are apparent on every hand ; the names of well-known riders, 
whether on the road or on the path, become household words 



314 CYCLING. 

with cyclists from one end of the country to the other ; ideas 
are ventilated and discussed in the correspondence columns, 
and as a result interest in the sport is sustained. Cycling has, 
as has been pointed out in earlier chapters, its senate, its jockey 
club, and its touring club ; and through the medium of its special 
press the policy of those bodies is discussed, and matters of 
importance to riders fully threshed out. Under such conditions 
it is not to be wondered that cycling is a peculiarly united 
sport w^hich can and does stand by itself. As is the case in 
all purely class papers, the line taken by the cycling press is a 
special one ; the writers are for the most part practical cyclists 
first, and literary men afterwards ; the reason why this arrange- 
ment has worked satisfactorily is obvious. The names of well- 
known road riders and successful racing men carry weight with 
the readers of such journals, even though their literary style 
may be slipshod or awkward, and in brief the matter may be 
summed up by saying that the cycling press is emphatically 
a p7'actical class press. The United Kingdom boasts a very 
large number of papers solely devoted to cycling in its various 
branches, no less than five being pubHshed in London. 
Germany, France, and America have also a considerable press, 
whilst the British Colonies are by no means behind in this 
matter. 

'The Cyclist,' a weekly paper, was started in 1879 by 
Messrs. Iliffe and Sturmey, of Coventry ; this journal at the time 
of writing is in its eighth year of publication. ' The Cyclist ' has 
for its provincial editor j\Ir. Henry Sturmey, of Coventry, the 
author of a number of essentially practical hand-books on 
various branches of the sport, a very sound mechanic, and a 
practical and painstaking wTiter upon most subjects of interest 
to riders. His collaborateur, the London editor, Mr Nairn, 
has compiled several valuable road-books for the use of cyclists. 
The editors are surrounded by an able staff, many of whom are 
known in other fields of literature. 

* The Cyclist ' regularly contains a mass of practical and 
readable matter, reports of racing events, full details of all 



THE PRESS AND CYCLIXG LITERATURE. 315 

meetings for business and pleasure, club notes and notices, and 
in sfiort is a brief abstract and chronicle of the time. Next in 
importance as a cycling journal is the 'Bicycling News.' First 
published in 1S76, it has outlived several much younger 
papers, and has had on the whole a somewhat chequered career. 
In 1885, the proprietors of 'The Tricyclist' and 'Wheel Life' 
purchased the old paper and amalgamated them with it 'The 
Tricyclist ' w^as a paper solely devoted to the interests of the 
three-wheeled sport, but though sufficiently successful, it was 
found necessary to revert to the original name in the amalga- 
mated journal. 

A weekly cartoon, treating in a facetious manner some event 
in the cycling world, or illustrating some particular meeting or 
favourite resort which had been a prominent feature of ' Wheel 
Life,' is also pubhshed with the paper, w^hich is edited by 
Mr. Lacy HiUier. 

A younger journal, which probably comes next in popu- 
larity, is 'Wheeling,' wherein the news is conveyed mostly in 
paragraphic form under suitable headings. A good mass of 
news is always to be found in its pages. When first published 
this journal gave a series of excellent portraits, accompanied 
by biographies. This series has, however, been now for some 
time discontinued. The paper is owned by Mr. Etherington. 

'The Tricycling Journal,' edited by H. A. Judd, is another 
weekly paper published in London containing current news 
from various sources in tricycling matters. 

The only monthly magazine devoted to cyclingis ' Olympia,' 
originally the ' Wheel World,' which contains a resume of the 
month's racing and other cycling matters, articles upon current 
events, and tales of fact or fiction, all of course containing a 
strong cycling element. A number of cycling sketches are in- 
cluded in each issue, mostly from the pencil of Mr. George 
Moore, who has devoted special attention to subjects connected 
with the sport. jNIr. A. J. Wilson, well known to cyclists as 
' Faed,' is a frequent contributor to its pages. Many of the con- 
tributions are remarkable for their literary ability. The maga- 



3i6 CYCLING, 

zine is a popular one with riders generally. Of other journals 
devoting a portion of their space to cycling, there is a lengthy 
list, as every sporting paper reports cycling events. * The Sports- 
man' reports cychng events fully, though not perhaps at such 
length as the ' Sporting Life.' Many of the daily papers either 
reproduce the reports of those sporting papers, or have the events 
attended on their behalf. Of weekly sporting papers ' The Field,' 
* Land and Water,' ' Pastime,' ' The Athletic News,' * Sport and 
Play,' ' The Scottish Athlete,' ' The Scottish Umpire,' and a 
numberof other papersand periodicals, devotespace to the events 
of cycling ; whilst of fugitive articles in various magazines 
and other publications a lengthy list could be made. ' The 
."Referee ' usually contains the first detailed reports of Saturday's 
racing. 

In addition to the periodical press, the cyclist also demands, 
and of course obtains, a number of publications bearing upon 
various phases of his sport, books of instruction in the various 
points of practical riding, books bearing on the construction 
and choice of machines, books treating of training and road 
riding, route books and itineraries, year-books and annuals, 
fully recording the events of each season ; and, in short, the 
whole catalogue of literature which so active and wide- spread 
a community might be expected to require, and very fully indeed 
are these requirements answered. Of practical guides to cycling 
there is a wide choice, though most of the papers have from 
time to time fully explained the subject, whilst the lengthy 
correspondences which have been encouraged by the editors 
have very often elucidated points of practical interest to 
beginners and veterans. As early as 1868 a little publication 
called ' The Velocipede and How to Use It ' was published in 
London by A. Davis, which was re-issued enlarged in 1869, in 
which year quite a number of practical hand-books on the art 
of cychng, or rather velocipeding as it was termed, were pub- 
lished. 'The Bicycle, its Use and Action,' by Charles Spencer, 
one of the first John-o'-Groat's men, published in 1870, was the 
first work specifically treating of the bicycle in its modern form 



THE PRESS AND CYCLING LITERATURE. 317 

and under its modern name. ' The Bicycle,' an annual, was first 
published in 1874, and existed until 1877, when it died through 
the competition of better publications ; ' The Bicycle Annual,' 
the literary work of which was done by Mr. C. W. Nairn, fully 
replacing its predecessor and giving a vast amount of informa- 
tion and valuable road routes. The 'Indispensable Bicyclist's 
Hand-book,' by Mr Henry Sturmey, was first published in 1879, 
and has been re-issued together with ' Indispensable Ha nd-books ' 
on Tricycling, and Safety Riding, as required up to the present 
time. In addition to these practical works a large number of 
amusing publications have been issued, including the Christmas 
numbers of the various cycling papers, in which the events of 
the year are taken off in manners varying according to the 
nature of the pubhcation. ' Things a Cyclist Ought to Know,' 
a penny pamphlet published by Mr. R. E, Phillips of South 
Norwood, contains in a very complete and handy form many 
points of interest and value, whilst ' The Cyclist Christmas 
Number and Annual' is also full of valuable information 
concerning the events of each year. In fact, no sport can 
compare with cycling in the variety and completeness of the 
records kept, and, as was suggested at the opening of this 
chapter, this fact undoubtedly accounts for the vitality which 
it possesses and the enthusiasm it creates. 

Since the first edition of this work was printed ' Olympia ' 
has been discontinued. The ' Magazine of Sport ' devotes 
some space to cycling, whilst with the spread of the sport it has 
been much better treated by the daily papers, which report 
important gatherings, and occasionally discuss matters of in- 
terest to cyclists as a body. There are also a large number 
of foreign and American publications devoted to cycling, which 
is very well off in this respect. 

Prominent amongst the German papers is ' Der Radfuhrer,' 
published by Mr. T. H. S. Walker of Berlin. This journal is 
remarkably well managed, and it contains excellent illustrative 
blocks, mostly portraits and portrait groups. It is the most 
influential paper of its class on the Continent. 



3i8 CYCLING. 

Another publication — of a semi-private nature — is the 
<■ C.T.C. Gazette,' most ably edited by Mr. Ernest R. Shipton. 
This — the official organ of some 20,000 members — contains 
much that is interesting to the practical cyclist. 

Numerous other local or club publications exist, all of 
great interest in their ' home ' circles ; and the means of inter- 
communication thus provided does much to unite the votaries 
of the wheel in a solid body to safeguard their own interests 
in every way. 



319 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CONSTRUCTION. 

PART L— MECHANISM. 

Before a rider can be considered thoroughly competent for 
the pursuit of the sport, more especially as to the touring side 
of it, he must of necessity know something of the construction 
and mechanism of the machine he rides, and he should also 
possess sufficient general knowledge of the working parts and 
their functions to be able, on an emergency, to put them right 
enough to ensure at any rate a certain amount of safety in case 
of accident. The general intention of this chapter will be to 
describe the various parts of the machine and their uses, the 
proper methods of adjustment, and the commonest accidents 
which occur to them. 

Before proceeding to dissect the various parts of the machine, 
the first thing will be to correctly name them, and for this pur- 
pose fig. II, 'a roadster bicycle,' has been inserted. The first 
part marked is a. This is the head, a term applied generally to 
the hinge on which the whole machine turns (see fig. 12), but 
particularly to that portion of the frame which is continuous 
with the front forks, and which is distinctively called 'the head;' 
the top of the backbone, which enters the head, being distin- 
guished as 'the backbone head.' The head a carries in front 
the bosses through which the handle-bar passes, and also the 
fittings of the break and the break lever ; the handle is seen 
(endways) at K ; the break lever, which runs along the right- 
hand handle, at j, and the break spoon and break attachment 



320 CYCLING, 

at o ; B is the backbone, a hollow steel tube very light but 
very rigid, and often made oval in shape ; at c the backbone b 
is split and carried down on either side of the wheel forming 
the hind forks s. These are, of course, for the most part made 
separately and shut into the backbone ; but the effect, as far as 




Fig. II. — A HUMBER ROADSTER BICYCLE. 

appearance goes, is the same, d is the hub of the front wheel, 
usually of gun-metal ; n is the hub of the rear wheel, which 
generally contains the bearings, being in fact a hub and bearing 
case in one ; e, the front forks, now almost invariably made 
hollow, passing down on either side of the front wheel from the 
head, with which they are usually homogeneous, to the front 
wheel bearings at m. Through these bearings runs the axle of 



CONSTRUCTION. 321 

the front wheel, and outside the bearings are placed the cranks 
F F carrying the pedals G G. On the backbone is placed the 
spring H (in this case a Humber coil spring), which carries the 
saddle i. Beneath the head and between the forks is placed 
the trouser guard p. The rims of the wheels l l are frequently 
hollow ; R is the step for mounting. The various parts of the 
machine as illustrated, which will come under consideration, 
are as follows : i. The frame, 2. The wheels. 
The frame will include — 

1. The head a, which has attached to it directly the handles 
K, the break and lever o and j, and the backbone head. 

2. The backbone b, including the spring h, step r, hind 
forks c. 

3. The front forks e, including bearings m, cranks F, and 
pedals G. 

The wheels will include — 

The front and back wheels. 

As many of the parts of a bicycle as illustrated are either 
duplicated in the tricycle without any structural alteration, it 
has been thought desirable to treat fully on the simpler piece of 
mechanism first, and then to describe more particularly those 
points of the tricycle which materially differ from the bicycle 
fittings, or which are not represented at all. Thus there is no 
' balance gear ' in a bicycle, and the action and nature of that 
piece of mechanism will be subsequently considered. 

THE HEAD. 

The most usually adopted form of head, modified into many 
shapes but radically unaltered, is that known as the 'The Stanley 
Head,' invented by Mr. Thomas Humber of Beeston, Notts, 
and practically introduced by a firm in Sheffield, who manu- 
factured a machine known as ' The Stanley Bicycle.' In fig. 12 
is shown a 'Stanley Head' in section as regards the head 
proper, and with a backbone head drawn in the round in situ. 
^^his head is one of the latest types issued by Messrs. Thomas 
Smith & Sons, one of the largest stamping firms in the trade. 

Y 



CYCLING. 



H H in the illustration is the backbone head, continuous with 
the backbone and shown in place, c c c c is the actual head 
homogeneous with the front forks, one of which is shown at e, 
the other of course being supposed to be removed with the 
other section. The hole k is for the front bolt of the spring. 
The hole d in the front of the head is where the handle-bar is 
placed, the front of the head being carried out in a neat boss to 
give it the necessary strength and support, o the small projec- 
tion screwed into the front of the head to form a hinge for the 
second lever of the break, which carries the spoon upon its 

fore-end. The upright 
portion of the break is 
shown at n, whilst p is 
the hole into which in 
some cases the end of 
the handle lever of the 
break is put. In other 
cases the end of n is 
rounded, and enters a 
corresponding hole in the 
handle lever of the break, 
and several other plans 
are adopted. The back- 
bone head h h, as will be 
seen, terminates in a 
solid piece of metal round 
and slightly taper with 
The bottom cone g being rather 
the bottom cone g drops into a 




Fig. 



A CONE HEAD. 



cones F and g at either end. 
larger than the top cone f, 
corresponding coned socket cut in the solid portion of the lower 
part of the head, just at the shoulder of the forks as shown. 
A A is a set screw with a wide aperture up the middle, termin- 
ating in a cone, and into this the upper part of the backbone 
head and the cone f enters. This set screw is squared as 
shown at R, and has a very fine thread cut on it, and can thus 
be most accurately adjusted, as it is clear that by screwing the 



CONSTRUCTION. 



323 



set screw a a farther into the head, z>., downwards upon the 
cone F, the cones both at top and bottom are pressed more 
firmly into their respective sockets, and as the head can be 
thus locked, so that with ordinary force the backbone head 
cannot be moved in the head proper, it is clear that a point 
of adjustment can be reached if the head is accurately fitted 
at which there should be absolute freedom of motion in the 
head without any looseness, always supposing that the machine 
is one made by a maker with a reputation for accurate fitting, 
as the slightest carelessness in fitting the head cones will of 
course cause them to grip at one point, whilst they may be 
possibly quite loose at another. 
M is an oil hole which will re- 
quire a limited but frequent 
supply of lubricant, as the upper 
cone F being turned upwards 
the oil tends to drain away. The 
object in so placing the cone, 
instead of making it downwards 
in the old way as shown at s, in 
the outlined figure is to secure 
the greatest possible length be- 
tween the centres without making 
a long and consequently ugly 
head, as it is evident that the 
greater the length between the 
points of the cones the greater 
the leverage of the head to steady 
the machine, b, shown in section, is the lock nut of the head, 
which is screwed down when the adjustment has been made 
to keep A A tight and secure, l is the beginning of the back- 
bone. The wear of a head is of course considerable ; the 
weight carried upon the lower cone and the general strain 
thrown upon the head tend to wear it out. If the adjustment 
is kept correctly tight, the wear will be even or practically so, 
but if a head is allowed to run for any length of time without 

Y 2 




Fig 



I3_ — TRIG well's ball- 
bearing HEAD. 



j^4 



CYCLING. 



adjustment, the cones will wear irregularly, and the correct 
adjustment of them will subsequently become almost impos- 
sible, as the circles of the cones being untrue, they will not fit 
when once again brought into close adjustment. Many ideas 
have been brought to a practical trial to remedy this defect, 
but none proved quite efficient until the Regent ball-bearing 
head was invented by Mr. Trigwell, of the firm of Messrs. 
Trig^vell, Watson & Co. This is shown in section in fig. 13, 
lettered to correspond with fig. 12. But the additional points 
are as follows : in place of a plain cone at either end of the 
backbone head, there is a rounded end carrying a groove 
around which when m situ are placed nine steel balls of small 
size. In place of the coned orifice of the set screw there is 




Fig. 14. — THE SOCKET HEAD. 

a groove, which, when the set screw is adjusted, presses upon 
the balls and keeps them in contact with the coned ends f and 
G, the adjustment and all other points being the same. If 
carefully adjusted the balls equally carry the weight and divide 
the strain, and also admit of considerable adjustment, with 
which a slight amount of irregular wear would not interfere, 
although if the adjustment is correct this irregular wear would 
be almost impossible. This head should in future be of 
still more value, and will doubtless be appreciated in due time. 
For Humber type tricycles, and especially for tandems, it 
should prove practically very serviceable. The Abingdon ball 



CONSTRUCTION. 



325 



head, in which the balls and their adjustments are all fitted 
into the backbone head and removable with it, is also a 
singularly neat and useful fitting, with many good points to 
recommend it. Fig. 14 shows the original head first used on 
velocipes and known as the ' socket head' (i), shows the head 
complete as it used to be turned out by the Coventry Machinist 
Company on the ' Gentleman's Bicycle.' h h is the backbone 
and backbone head. In this case the backbone head was 
placed outside, and carried in front a projection, on to which 
w\is fastened the old 'bow spring,' zz. The front forks e e, 
also shown in fig. 1 2, were continuous W' ith a coned spindle, 
which passed through the backbone head, which was bored 




Fig. 15. — THE ARIEL HEAD. 

with a conical hole to admit of an adjustment w^hich was theo- 
retically claimed, but hardly practically possible. The spindle 
head of the forks, having been well lubricated, was passed 
through the backbone head h. The bracket c (3) was then 
placed over the top of the spindle, and a nut being screwed 
down upon the bracket on the top of the spindle as shown at 
I, the socket head was complete. The handle-bar passed 
through the lugs y y, in which it revolved to wind up the cord 
of the break d. The old socket head allowed the wheel to 
turn right round, and when a fall occurred the wheel often 
did so, and nipping the rider's leg between the backbone and 
the rim, caused a very dangerous complication which some- 



326 



CYCLING. 



times resulted in a broken limb. At the same time the adjust- 
ment was found to be very inadequate, the coned spindle wore 
fore and aft, and would not admit of adjustment, which, if 
attempted, simply caused it to bind, and thus made it abso- 
lutely dangerous in practical work ; and then some genius 
invented the ' Ariel Head,' fig. 15. This, as will be seen, con- 
tained the germ of the Stanley head in an undeveloped form, 
and even now certain firms fit a modified Ariel head to their 
machines, as it is a very strong and steady head, and is more- 
over easily cleaned and oiled, a is the adjusting screw, h 
the backbone head, and c the forks. 

There are other steering heads in the market of varying 
pattern, several of which are impracticable and useless, whilst 
others possess conspicuous merit. The most notable departure 
from the general pattern is the American head, so-called, in 
which the backbone is hinged to projections behind the head 
proper, the idea being that as long as the wheel is driven for- 
ward, the head by a castor-like action will keep the rear carriage 
straight; and doubtless this is so, and the head therefore has its 
own peculiar merits for road riders, especially for tricyclists 
who use machines of the double-steering or Humber pattern. 

The most usual and most annoying accident that can happen 
to a head is when it cracks around the lower end, from the 
corners of the opening where the 
backbone head is put in. This ac- 
cident is frequently the natural se- 
quence of an adjustment of the head 
in the spring, on the occasion of the 
first ride, as a very little tightness will 
often cause the casting to give way 
at this point. This accident is gene- 
rally discovered when the rider notices 
that the pedals seem somewhat more 
to the front than usual, and the break 
remains steadily on in spite of his efforts to get it off, this being 
due to the forks going forward, whilst the head proper remains 




Fig. 



16. — A COMMON 
ACCIDENT. 



CONSTRUCTIOiY. 327 

upright. Very often the cracked head will carry the rider many 
miles before it gives altogether, though of course great care 
should be exercised in descending hills and so on. Other acci- 
dents, or rather other dilapidations, are due to irregular wear 
through riding for a lengthened period with a loose head, which 
course if persisted in precludes the possibility of ever getting 
the head accurately adjusted afterwards. The adjustment of a 
Stanley head requires a certain amount of care and patience, 
but this should not prevent the young rider from giving them 
unreservedly to his machine, as on this point will depend much 
of his comfort and safety. 

Having first undone the lock-nut b, fig. 12, the set screw a 
should be removed, the backbone head h taken out and all the 
grit, &c., carefully wiped out 
and the cones cleaned. Some 
fresh oil having been put into 7^ 
the lower cone and around the 
top of the backbone head, the 
latter should be replaced and 
the set screw aa screwed down 
until the backbone moves but ^ig. i7.-adjusting the head. 
stiffly in the hinge between the 

cones ; this of course shows that the upper and lower head cones 
are gripping the backbone ends tightly and in close apposition. 
A should then be carefully loosened until the backbone is found 
to move freely, and then the rider should place the ball of his 
thumb across the opening of the head just below c at the back, 
so that whilst his thumb touches both sides of the slit, the middle 
part of the thumb also touches the backbone head within (see 
fig. 17). The machine should then be shaken backwards and for- 
wards by the backbone, and the slightest looseness will be easily 
detected. This plan is preferable to that of lifting the backbone 
up and down to see if there is any looseness there, though the 
latter plan may be used when adjusting tricycle heads. When 
the set screw a has been so carefully adjusted that the head 
moves quite freely, the lock-nut b may be screwed up tight, 




328 CYCLING. 

when in most cases it will be found that the head is then too 
tight, and a quarter turn of the set screw should be made, and 
the lock-nut being re-tightened, the head again tested in the 
manner above described, and this should be done just as often 
as may be necessary, until the head is found to be all right. 
With new machines it often happens that for a time the head 
requires frequent adjustment, and this should be seen to, as if 
it be kept carefully screwed up until it gets ' set ' by wear, it 
will then run all right for a lengthened period. A head screwed 
up too tightly will be found an immense drawback to comfort, 
and it is quite worth while to keep this material portion of the 
machine carefully adjusted from the first. 

Attached to the head and passing through the hole d are 
the handle-bars and handles, called generally 'the handles.' 

^^ .^ These are usually made of 

hollow steel tube, which is both 
strong and light and withstands 
the pull of the rider when 



IT 



c^ 



C^3: 




=>^^ racing or going up-hill. The 
fashion set some few years back 
by several well-known cyclists 
of having wide handles which 
give the rider a chance of 
breathing with comfort, has 
now become universal, and the 

machines of to-day are fitted 
Fig. i8.— handle-bars. vt_ t, ji t, 4. 

with handle-bars some twenty- 
six to twenty-eight inches wide. The handle-bar is made of 
tapered tube in varying forms, and is fitted at the ends 
with bone or vulcanite rubber handles. The first handle-bars 
were straight, passing through the boss of the head and being 
continued out in a straight line on either side. At a very 
early date after the introduction of the longer bars they began 
to be bent in various ways, men going into raptures abcut 
the purchase which a 'straight arm' gave them. This was 
without doubt a mistake, as an actually straight arm proves 



CONSTRUCTION. 



3^9 



very irksome and uncomfortable in practical riding, but at 
the same time ' cowhorn ' handles, Nvhich took the hands lower 
down, possessed a decided advantage over the old high straight 
handle-bar. These variations were tested for the most part 
first on the path, and 'dropped handles' became the rage. 
In some cases the handles as they emerge from the boss of the 
head curve slightly ui^ards and then again rather further down- 
wards, so as to allow the play of the legs under them and at 
the same time give the rider the 
advantage of a lower handle ; see 
bottom cut in fig. 1 8. Others again, 
where the rider uses a full- sized 
machine, start out straight from the 
head horizontally, and then dip 
sharply at the end. In any case 
the rider, whether he be racing man 
or tourist, should be sure to have 
the handles conveniently adjusted. 
They should not be too low or too 
high, though the former fault is to 
be preferred to the latter. They 
should not touch the legs anywhere, 
and the handles themselves should 
be in a comfortable position. They 
should be arranged, in short, exactly 
to suit the arm reach of the intend- 
ing rider, and he should be most 
careful in every case to see that 
they are rightly placed. 

Once in a way very eccentric ideas are seen on the path ; 
thus Mr. J. S. Whatton, amateur champion of 1882 at five 
miles, used some extraordinary handle-bars, which started from 
just below the shoulder of the fork and passing in a wide curve 
backwards, came round under the thigh of the rider, and finished 
in handles placed just about in the same position as those of an 
ordinary machine the idea being that the rider was more safe 





Fig. 19. 



WHATTON S HANDLE- 
BARS. 



330 



CYCLING, 



in case of a cropper, as he had an open front with no handle- 
bars to bother him. The idea was not followed up except by 
the Cambridge man's brother, the faults of the plan being 
obvious. The long bars not only added weight, but were even 
then exceedingly weak and afforded but little purchase ; in 
fact, j\[r. Whatton very soon bent them and pulled them out 
of truth. Despite these drawbacks the elder Whatton won a 
championship and showed some wonderful pace, making a 
flying quarter-mile record at Surbiton, and the only wonder 
of those who knew the nature and weight of the machine he 
was on, was, what he would have done had he been on an ordi- 
nary machine, with a stiff and rigid handle-bar at which to pull. 

All the varying t}'pes of handle- 
bar have their admirers, but for 
road work it is always well to have 
the head as long as possible, and 
this usually admits of a straight bar 
with dropped ends, the straight 
part being most comfortable for 
' coasting ' or going with legs over 
the handles down a hill. For tri- 
cycling, the handle-bar, when it is 
used, assumes varied shapes ; thus 

^.^^^ the handle-bar of the Ranelagh 

\^^^^^^J-^ H Club is merely cow-horned to allow 

the legs to play freely, as is also 
the ingenious dummy handle-bar 
In Humber type tricycles, and more 
especially in Humber tandems, a bar, not only dropped but 
carried backwards a trifle, will be found of very great service in 
climbing hflls and so on, whilst many of the safeties can be 
improved by adopting a handle more suited to the individual 
idiosyncrasies of the rider. In fact, on the adjustment of the 
handle-bar depends much of the comfort of the rider, and 
this fact will be found most clearly appreciated by racing men, 
who are always careful to have their handles placed according 




Fig. 20.— handles. 



of the racing Quadrant. 



COXSTRUCTION. 331 

to their own predilections. The leverage exerted by a 26-inch 
handle-bar is obviously very great, and yet riders may be seen 
tearing first at one handle and then at the other in their efforts 
to surmount a hill ; this is absurd, as the alternate pulls tend to 
deflect the forks and throw a crooked strain upon the bearings. 
On the other hand, by slightly setting the shoulder muscles, the 
strain is thrown equally on both sides of the bar, with the 
result that the machine runs easier and the course is straighten 
An important item in this part of the machine is the kind of 
handle to be used. In the early days of cycling, ivory handles 
were fitted at a considerable extra charge as something 
particularly excellent, but the unfortunate purchasers soon dis- 
covered that nothing split easier than the ivory handles in case 
of a spill, and their popularity rapidly waned. At the same 
time rosewood (so-called) handles were most frequently fitted, 
but gradually horn took their place, and now^ it is quite the 
exception to see a racing machine fitted with any other handle, 
if the cork handles fitted by one or two firms are put aside. 
On the road, too, horn handles are by far the most numerous, 
though handles of vulcanite and other materials are also to be 
seen. The great fault of 90 per cent, of the horn handles is 
that they are too small, thus predisposing the hand to cramp, 
and similar troubles. The handle for road w^ork should be of 
a good size, just large enough to fill the hand and to allow^ the 
fingers to touch round it, so as to secure a firm grip. This is 
a point which makers would do well to look into, as the horn 
handle has been getting smaller and smaller for two or three 
seasons. 

The break fittings are a very important item in the economy 
of a bicycle, inasmuch as on their accuracy and soundness very 
often depends the safety of the limbs, if not the life of the rider. 
Fig. 21 shows the first lever of the break B, pivoting at d, a small 
socket screwed for the purpose into the head a ; details of d are 
shown at G. h is a section of the spoon of the break ; at 
the top of the lever b is a hole in which the end of the second 
lever plays. Fig. 22 shows the second lever in position, a a is 



33^ 



CYCLING. 



the handle-bar, and b the handle, the lever e e is pivoted at d, 
and its end is inserted in the upright arm of the spoon lever. 
The details of the break should be often examined and any 
flaw at once remedied, as any breakage may bring about serious 
results. 





Fig. 21.— first levee of 
break and fittings. 



Fig. 22.— second lever 

OF BREAK. 



THE BACKBONE. 

This part of the machine, whether it be the bicycle or the 
tricycle backbone, does not nowadays present any very marked 
variety of construction. Early in the history of the improved 
bicycle, square, fluted, and multitubular backbones were fitted 
by some makers, but they were all superseded by the marvel- 
lously light and strong weldless or seamless tubes, made by 
various companies for the trade, especially for the purpose. 
These backbones are circular or oval in section, and do not 
admit of much variety in their simple but effective pattern. 

An ordinary ovalled backbone has a backbone head and hind 
forks separately fitted, the latter being in most cases rivetted 
and brazed in place, though sometimes made continuous with 
the backbone, the end being split into two half tubes, which are 
covered in with a flat piece of metal ; whilst in the hind fork 



CONSTRUCTION. 



r:>?> 



fitted by John Keen the backbone went simply undivided on 
one side of the hind wheel, the pin sticking out at right angles 
from the end, without any other support. The backbone heads 
are pushed into the tube, being of course very accurately fitted 
and then ri vetted and brazed. The backbone head sometimes 
gives way, the most usual accident being a crack just behind 
the solid part of the head, and this should be looked for at any 
time when the pose of the rider seems to have slightly altered. 
* Springing of the backbone,' as it is called, is another accident 
which sometimes happens, especially where a cheap make of 
backbone is used, or where the rider is too heavy for his 
machine. In both these cases the curve of the backbone 
straightens out. The part gives, thus taking the backbone off 
the front wheel and allowing the hind wheel to get farther 
away than it should do, whilst in cases where cheap oval back- 
bones have been used, the straightening will sometimes be 
accompanied by a crooking to one side or the other, which of 
course makes the machine steer very awkwardly. The rider 
should therefore run his eye occasionally over the machine and 
see that the backbone, as compared with the rim of the front 
wheel, preserves the same relative curve. Should a backbone 
go in this way it will require watching ; if it has been badly or 
carelessly bent to make it fit a particular wheel, it will perhaps 
only spring back slightly, but, on the other hand, if it is really 
a bad one it will go on straightening until it either breaks or 
places the hind wheel far away from the driving wheel, which 
not only looks ridiculous but also interferes materially with the 
nanning of the machine on the road. 

The hind forks alluded to above are now usually simple 
stampings, the metal being convex to the outside, with a broad 
shoulder and a butt which is inserted in the backbone. The 
butt is carefully fitted into the end of the backbone, rivetted 
and brazed. At the tails of the forks are the holes through 
which the ends of the hind-wheel pin pass ; these forks fully 
tested, light and strong, have almost entirely replaced the old- 
fashioned hollow hind forks. Hind forks may break, but such 



334 CYCLING. 

an accident seldom occurs with bicyclists. The tricyclists who 
ride Humber pattern tricycles, sometimes fracture the hind forks 
of their machines by the foolish practice of jumping into the 
saddle, which is good for neither the man nor the machine ; the 
brazing of the hind fork sometimes gives way, and then it 
becomes loose and wears the rivet; this is however very soon 
detected, owing to the pecuHar unsteadiness which it gives the 
steering. 

The front wheel hubs take many forms ; sometimes the 
flanges are of large diameter, and if used for direct spokes 
depending on hub tension, they are comparatively heavy j on 
the other hand they are sometimes made of very thin metal, 
the spokes being headed in a thin beaded rim with the tension 
in the felloe. Or again the hub flanges are small, with a beaded 
rim, and the spokes are passed through holes, hair-pin style, for 
tangent wheels with a tension in the felloe, as for example in 
the Invincible cycles ; then, again, they are cup-like, with laced 
spokes sticking out well over the bearings. In racing machines 
with direct spokes and hub tension the hubs are made with 
flanges of small diameter but with enough metal to give the 
spokes a good hold, the bearing being buried in the hub, 
whilst for laced spoke racers the hub is of very light construc- 
tion, being simply a collar on either side of the stout axle 
necessary for such machines ; in short, the varieties of the hub 
are numerous ; the day of very large and heavy hubs has gone 
by. Some hubs are so made as to lock the spokes after adjust- 
ment, and many inventors have worked upon the hub in various 
ways ; but the plainer, simpler, and lighter a hub is, the better, 
always supposing that it contains strength enough to take 
without any failure the strain of the spoke tension. The hub 
axle has almost without exception remained a sohd, and the 
strain of the cranks upon it is such as to make it most inad- 
visable to in any way weaken it. Gun-metal hubs have found 
much favour, as they set off a machine very much j but plain 
steel hubs are equally good, as far as actual service goes, and 
there is little chance of the simplicity of the hub being in any 



CONSTRUCTION. 



ZV. 



way modified. The hind wheel hub usually contains the hind 
wheel ball-bearing within it, and it will be found fully described 
under the head of bearings. 

The front forks are usually made of a sharpened oval sec- 
tion, A, B, fig. 23 ; they are constructed out of tubing, which has 





^ 



71 



Fig. 23. 

been tapered, and are usually pressed into shape cold, in an 
hydraulic press. They are called bayonet-shaped forks, because 
they are tapered from the shoulder of the head gradually down 
to the bearings. The hollow fork a is fitted very carefully over 
the solid end b, fig. 24, which is made on purpose upon the 
head, and having been placed upon it the fork is rivetted and 
brazed. Sometimes, as in the Excelsior machines, the forks 
are simply flattened continuous tubes, running from the bear- 
ings to the handle-bar, having fixed upon them 
at the top a cross bar to take the lower cone of 
the improved Ariel head, and a corresponding 
top piece to which the handles are attached^ 
this making a strong serviceable fork. The 
Premier double hollow fork bicycle has two cir- 
cular tubes on either side placed side by side, 
running up to the head in the usual way, the 
result being a vastly improved edition of the old 
Ariel head e (see fig. 15). Forks, like other parts of the machine, 
have undergone many changes and variations ; and many ideas 
have been tried to secure their rigidity or in other ways to 
improve them (c, d, fig. 23) ; but the simplicity of the hollow 
bayonet fork places it well above any others with the exceptions 
alluded to, and improvement except in quality, if feasible, 
seems almost impossible, although it is a bold thing to attempt 
to say where improvement in cycles will stop, a, fig. 23, is 



Fig. 



336 CYCLING. 

the so-called knife-edged bayonet fork, which was at one time 
very popular j it was, however, given to cracking along the edge, 
and has been discarded in favour of section b, v/hich is round 
edged ; c and d are sections of grooved and fluted forks, many 
styles of which have from time to time been tried ; the twin 
tube forks of the DHF (double hollow fork) Premier is the 
only important variation, and it is a sound, rigid and reliable 
fork. The b section fork is made by first carefully tapering a 
piece of stout steel tube and then pressing it flat in one opera- 
tion by means of an hydraulic press — this method of construc- 
tion has the merit of at once detecting any flaw in the 
material. The lower ends of the forks are sometimes made 
continuous with the bearing cases, or the latter are bolted on 
to them, the soundest way without doubt being to have them 
part and parcel of the forks, though for convenience of taking 
to pieces, should such a course be often necessary, the bear- 
ings fixed with a stout screw will be found most useful. 

The cranks are placed on either end of the axle of the 
driving wheel in bicycles, and on either end of the lower 
pulley wheel axle in tricycles ; they are made from five to 
seven inches in length, have a long slot in them into which the 
pedal fits, and the length of the throw can be adjusted to the 
satisfaction of the rider. Some years back, James Carver 
introduced the idea of cutting grooves in the face of the crank, 
into which corresponding projections on the face of the inside 
of the shoulder of the pedal-pin fitted, and this idea has found 
favour amongst riders and makers. The crank is fixed to the 
end of the axle with a tapered pin which sometimes gives 
trouble by becoming loose. It is no good to try and tinker 
it up ; the machine should at once be taken to a good mechanic 
to be put right ; when once the crank pin has been loose, it 
will in most cases come loose again, unless remedied at once. 
Variable cranks are not altogether novelties, many inventors 
having from time to time tried their hands at this description 
of crank, the idea of course being that by making the length 



CONS TR UCTION, y^^-j 

of the throw variable, the rider can so shift the pedals as to 
have a long leverage for up-hill and a short one for the level ; 
whether in actual practice the variable crank will ever be 
found satisfactory is a moot point. The variation is wide, no 
less than two inches, and as a result the rider would never have 
a quite satisfactory reach; thus if he had the machine to fit his 
reach when working with the 5-inch crank, which is the speed 
crank, it is clear that he would be overreaching himself con- 
siderably with the 7 -inch throw, and vice versa, and moreover, 
without a great deal of practice, the alteration of a throw 
makes a practised rider feel all abroad, for a time at any rate. 
The variable crank bids fair to be of more importance upon 
tricycles than upon bicycles, as the tricyclist who does not 
want to hurry may possibly find a relief in a 7 -inch throw up 
hill, whilst using the 5-inch on the level. It is, however, rather 
early in the day to judge with any certainty on this point, as it 
is only of late that the makers have put the variable crank 
commercially upon the market. The Surrey Machinist Com- 
pany have a good variable crank, which should answer the 
purpose for which it was invented, and there are several more 
in existence. 

The pedals are placed in the crank slots, and form the grip 
and rest for the feet. They are divided into two classes, rat- 
trap and rubber pedals. Rat-trap pedals are so called because 
they resemble in shape the old style of rat-trap or 'gin,' being 
made of two parallel iron plates, with saw teeth cut thereon, 
the sides being a little raised, with a pin running right through 
them, the pedal originally running on adjustable cones. The 
march of improvement has however made ball pedals most 
popular, the design being exceedingly simple, the ends of the 
pedal having in their centres two light cases in which are placed 
the necessary number of balls, with an adjusting cone fitted 
upon the pedal pin. 

The ' rubber pedal, ' as its name implies, consists of two or 
more stout rubber cylinders upon iron cores which replace 



338 CYCLING. 

the saw-edged irons of the rat-trap. A novelty in the shape of 
square rubbers made so as to revolve upon the iron cores, and 
thus adjust themselves to the set of the foot, has recently been 
brought out by W. Bown. Rubber pedals are most comfort- 
able for long rides, but the rider is more liable to ' slip his 
pedal ' when using them, especially in wet weather, and they 
are seldom used on the racing path. C. E. Liles, the mile 
chamiDion in 1880, and Fred East, however, invariably used 
rubber pedals on the racing path. 

The bearings are a very important item in the machinery of 
bicycle or tricycle, seeing that on them to a very great extent 
depend the easy running and practical working of the vehicle. 
The earliest bearing was, of course, simply a hole in the frame 
through which the axle ends were thrust, but the oil caught 
the flinty grit of the road, and soon produced wear, which 
upset the whole arrangement and necessitated the renewal of 
an integral part of the frame. This course suggested to the 
constructors of the earhest velocipedes that some arrangement 
would be necessary to provide against this wear, and so they 
hit upon the expedient of fixing two adjustable and removable 
blocks of steel or gun-metal on the ends of the forks, through 
w^hich the ends of the axle passed. This simple plan, of course, 
possessed many disadvantages. The strain of the pedaUing and 
the lateral twist of the bearings, but ill-supported by the thin and 
inadequate forks of that date, caused any amount of irregular 
wear, and plain or parallel bearings as they were called were soon 
improved upon. This time the coned bearing was introduced, 
which, as its name implies, was constructed of a coned shape, 
the axle ends being similarly arranged, the coned bearing had a 
successful run, and even now is used in cheap machines for 
hind-wheel and pedal-bearings, and in these cases the simple 
adjustment and general soundness of the plan make the 
coned bearing singularly appropriate. The disadvantages of a 
coned bearing are a tendency to run up and lock if carelessly 
manipulated, and the very awkward results of irregular wear, 



CONSTRUCTION. 



339 



which can only be provided against by frequent and careful 
adjustment. 

For some time bearings remained stationary and unim- 
proved, but inventors were of course at work, and at length 
the ball-bearing was introduced to the cycling public. 

The ball-bearing, as its name implies, is a device in which 
the wearing parts of a machine are so fitted as to run accurately 
upon a row of carefully made steel balls held in a suitable 
groove in the case. 

The result of such an arrangement satisfactorily designed 
is obviously to make it very easy to adjust and take up the 
equal wt^Y of such a row of balls, and at the same time to 
lessen materially the friction set up, seeing that in place of a 
grinding it is a rolling friction. The great desiderata are thus 
fully provided for in the ball-bearing, ease of running, mini- 
mum of wear, and simplicity of adjustment being all attained. 
Of course the first bearings were not in the main complete, and 
combined as they were at first with weak and inadequate forks, 
the tendency to a cross or twisting strain was very great ; the 
single row of balls thus got thrown out of running, nipped, 
dented, or broken, and some of the pioneer w^heelmen suffered 
so much annoyance from them as to entertain a determined and 
fixed prejudice against them for a long while afterwards. This 
obvious fault was met by the invention of the double ball- 
bearing, in which two rows of balls \vere placed, sometimes 
steadied by means of a cage, some fraction of an inch apart, and 
the adjustment being accurately and carefully made, the bearing 
resisted the tendency to torsion and twist which the single ball- 
bearing yielded to almost without resistance. The double ball- 
bearing in the days of weak forks was a decided advantage ; 
nowadays as the forks fitted are infinitely more rigid in every 
direction, the merits of double ball-bearings are not so apparent, 
although they are of the greatest value and importance even 
now in minimising and directing the strains on the machines. 
This principle of double rows of balls has been carefully 



340 CYCLING. 

carried out by many firms. Messrs. Humber and Co., in a 
racer built in 1881, put the rows of balls very wide apart in a 
broad case which was buried in the hub, and thus secured great 
steadiness and rigidity ; whilst Messrs. Singer & Co. now fit an 
extraordinary double ball-bearing which really consists of a tube 
or sleeve some inches long, slightly expanded at either end and 
carrying in these cup-like ends the balls, one row in each. Need- 
less to say this ingenious idea produces an immense degree of 
steadiness, and the same plan is also applied to the bottom 
bracket wheels of tricycles and Safety bicycles made by this firm. 
Simplicity combined with working efficiency is a sine quci non 
in a ball-bearing, and the adjustment is the only patentable 
point. Messrs. Bown & Co. claim a patent w^hich controls all 
ball-bearing adjustments by means of a cone ; and this adjust- 
ment, the simple screwing of a coned surface further into the 
bearing case, is without doubt one of the best — if not the best 
• — method of adjusting ball-bearings. Happily Bown's yEolus 
bearings are excellent in design and construction, and are 
widely used by the makers. Other means are also used to 
procure adjustment more or less successful, as for example 
in the ingenious ball-bearing known as the Abingdon, in which 
a solid case contains the balls in a groove, and a slit is cut 
through it, closed by a block. The wear is fractional, but when 
it at length does become apparent the face of the closing 
block is carefully filed, and when the jaws are again screwed 
up tightly on it, the wear is taken up by their infinitesimal 
approach. 

The hind-wheel bearings are most usually placed within 
the hub, although one or two makers have attached them to 
the rear fork-ends to secure stability. The hub bearing is, 
however, much the neater, and the radial leverage to be over- 
come is so small that this pattern has been adopted with satis- 
factory results by nearly all makers of the ordinary bicycle. 
In rear-driven Safeties the hind-wheel bearings are, however, 
often placed outside the hub, with advantage in the matter of 



CONSTRUCTION 341 

added stability. Bown's hind-wheel hub, both for Safeties and 
ordinaries, is typical of the most popular method of fitting ball- 
bearinf]:s to the rear wheel. 



THE SPRING. 

Providing of course that the running parts of the machine 
are in perfect order, the spring is by far the most important 
adjunct to the whole machine, as on it depends to a very great 
extent the comfort and safety of the rider. In the days of the 
hobby-horse, the absence of a spring was one of the most 
serious obstacles which mihtated against the success of those 
vehicles, hernia being frequently produced by the serious jars 
which the rider suffered on the unprotected seat, and this fault 
was doubtless apparent in the very earliest velocipedes ; but the 
first bicycle, the Boneshaker, was well provided in this respect. 
A long spring, running from the head to the top of the hind 
wheel, was employed in some of the first patterns, and this 
served to make the velocipede a luxurious vehicle compared 
with its progenitor. After some time, the machine having 
been improved, the long spring was considerably curtailed, 
and then the bow spring as fitted by the Coventry Machinist 
Company to their Gentleman's Bicycle was adopted ; this was 
a spring attached to a projection in front of the socket head 
(see zz, fig. 13, p. 323) which passed backwards on either side 
of the head, and finished in a curve which was bolted to the 
backbone in such a manner as to allow some little play at the 
tail end. This was also very comfortable, but the craze for 
lightening the machine soon led to the reduction of the size 
of the spring, and then the ' clip tail ' was adopted, that is, a 
spring bolted in front, and sliding on the backbone with a clip. 
In various forms this spring is still used, although it is much 
improved in many ways, yet it still suffers from side shake, the 
bolts and bolt-holes get worn, and the spring rocks slightly. 



342 CYCLING. 

Then came the Club spring, which consisted of a comparatively 
rigid bar of steel, slung in rubber loops and buffers, and this has 
proved fairly successful, although the rubber attachments often 
break, and to secure the necessary steadiness the buffers were 
supported by metal links and similar contrivances which to 
some extent conveyed the shocks of the road to the rider. 
Springs acting on rubber buffers by compression have proved 
fairly successful, as also have springs acting on coil sprmgs by 
compression ; but in most cases some arrangement has been 
applied to maintain the pose of the spring, and that arrange- 
ment will be found on examination, in nine cases out of ten, 
to be in permanent and sometimes in locked contact with the 
rigid plate of the saddle, which discounts to a great extent the 
work which the buffer arrangements are expected to do. In the 
original bicycles, and especially in the first spider-wheeled 
machines, the whole carriage became a spring owing to the 
w^ant of rigidity which characterised it, and it is for this reason 
that many old riders still go into raptures over the old bow 
spring ; but they would be considerably undeceived if one of 
the original springs was affixed for their instruction to one of 
the rigid machines of the present day. The fixing of the front 
end of the spring rigidly to the machine is one of those radical 
errors which are still maintained. The spring was so fitted to 
racing machines as long as those vehicles w^ere furnished with 
springs at all, but the modern racing machine has no spring, and 
the spring fixed at the front end is out of place in a roadster. 
The play of all the clip-tail class of springs is radically wrong, 
the action tending to tip up the point of the saddle and induce 
dangerous strains, and in any case all the old forms of clip- tail, 
roller, and sliding springs should be discarded. 

To note all the varieties in springs would fill up too much 
space, and it only remains to be seen what spring arrangements 
will best serve the purposes of the cyclist — the touring and road- 
riding cyclist that is to say— for the racing man has given up 
using a spring in any form, but has his saddle fitted right upon 
the backbone. 



CO.yS TR UCTION. 343 

The main points required in a satisfactory spring are the 
following : it must fully and effectively break the jar of the road, 
between the points of the wheels in contact with the road and 
the rider's body ; the rider, unless he adopts one or other of 
the anti-vibration handles now sold, will always transmit a 
certain amount of jar through his arms, if he rides with too 
much weight on the handles ; but as far as his body is con- 
cerned the spring should absorb all the vibration, and break 
its effect upon the saddle and its occupant. The spring must 
also be calculated for special occasions, as for example, if whilst 
riding at night the rider comes into collision with a large stone, 
the result must be a bad shaking however good the spring; 
but, at the same time, a good spring will break the shock, a bad 
spring may break itself. Whilst performing these important 
functions, the spring must not give too much under normal 
conditions ; it must not allow the pose of the saddle to be too 
readily affected, as any such variations must of necessity detract 
from the satisfactory application of the rider's power. It must 
be steady, strong, not liable to wear out, light, and easily adapt- 
able to any machine ; and these quahties are all to be found 
in one of the best inventions ever brought out in connexion 
with cycling, the well-known 'Arab Cradle Spring.' This 
spring was invented in 1878 by Mr. John Harrington, who 
was then residing in the Isle of Wight. Mr. Harrington is a 
most ingenious mechanician, and having turned his attention to 
the bicycle, he soon began to introduce improvements, some of 
which are now-a-days almost universally adopted. Prominent 
amongst them is the spring under notice, which has not only 
steadily grown in favour with the cycling public throughout the 
world, but has also been adopted by many of the leading firms 
of cycle makers for their standard pattern machines, this being 
without doubt the highest and most practical testimony to 
the merits of the invention. The spring has gone through 
a series of alterations and improvements since its first concep- 
tion, but its main characteristics have by no means changed. 
It is composed of stout steel wire of a peculiar quality ; the in- 



344 



CYCLING. 




ventor experimented for some years before he was quite satisfied 
with the material he was able to obtain for the construction of 
the springs. As will be seen from the illustration (fig. 25), it has 
two sides alike, upon which the saddle is placed. Owing to this 
peculiarity in its construction, it drops freely on either side of 
the backbone, and so obtains a larger space for play without 
raising the saddle, thus increasing the length of the reach. The 
actual amount of play is small, but the practical length of the 
spring is very great ; it is, however, cunningly coiled up into a 
convenient space — the double construction admits of a gentle 

and effective rocking action, 
which eases the rub of the 
saddle without in any way in- 
fringing on its rigidity and 
steadiness. The spring is pe- 
culiarly sensitive, taking up 
the small and great shocks with 
equal completeness, whilst in 
the event of an accident, one 
side will hold long enough to 
ensure the safety of the rider, 
although for the last few sea- 
sons breakages have been un- 
known owing to the quality of 
the material used. The spring 
is practically adaptable to any 
machine, bicycle or tricycle, 
and niany riders never part 
with their cradle springs, as 
them, it can be easily adapted 
Fig. 25 is an illustration of the 



Fig. 25. — THE arab ckadle 

SPRING ON an adjustable 



when they have got one to suit 

to any machine they may ride. 

newest pattern of the cradle spring. One other little idea 

of Mr. Harrington's in the shape of an adjustable tilt-rod is 

also shown, as also is a suspension saddle by Lamplugh 

& Brown, referred to further on. The rod i represents the 

usual saddle standard fitted to tricycles, at the top of which 



CONSTRUCTION. 345 

the adjustable tilt rod fitting is shown, f is the hinge joint 
firmly fixed, whilst below at the point G is a locking nut 
and a segmentary slot ; the horizontal bar h f can thus be 
adjusted at any required angle, and the necessity for pack- 
ing the saddle to secure a comfortable position can thus be 
avoided, and what is more, the position of the saddle can 
be altered slightly from time to time, which will often be 
found a relief, especially on long journeys, cis the solid frame 
which carries the Arab spring, having at D a strong block through 
which the rod h f passes, and it can be locked in any desired 
place by means of the screw e. At b and c are placed short 
cross bars, which support the ends of the cradle spring, and 
the result of putting weight in the saddle at a is that the 
duphcate coils fall on either side of d vertically, thus producing 
an easy and reliable spring, with a modicum of side play but 
no unsteadiness. At k are to be seen the nuts which fix the 
saddle to the spring. The cradle spring and buffer saddle as 
shown will practically annihilate vibration in any ordinary case, 
whilst the tilt-rod adjustment is a minor but valuable invention. 
In these days when the small-wheeled Safety bicycles are finding 
so much favour, the most noticeable fault of which class of 
vehicle is the increased vibration to which the rider is exposed, 
the cradle spring assumes even greater importance ; and one 
experienced cyclist who rode one of the earlier Safeties was 
to be seen for some weeks riding a bow-springed Safety, upon 
which bow spring was mounted, in addition, an Arab cradle 
spring. The cradle is a sine qua non in Safety bicycle riding ; 
it is also adapted to rocking and arm chairs, railway and ordi- 
nary carriages ; and is, as was stated above, almost universally 
adopted by the trade, any manufacturer in fact being willing 
to supply it fitted to any of his bicycles or other machines. In 
ordering one of these springs from the original makers, it is only 
necessary to send name of machine, measurement round back- 
bone, and exact weight of rider in his riding dress ; the spring 
• will then only require careful adjustment to give every satisfac- 
ion. It is of course necessary to mount the spring for bicyclists 



346 CYCLING. 

carefully, quite square with the backbone ; when position and 
pose are found to be right by a trial the nuts may be given a 
final touch with the spanner, and the cradle spring will be 
found almost everlasting, the supporting bolts only showing 
any wear. 

Of late years the spring has been combined with the 
saddle in various ways, and the latest novelties in this direc- 
tion will be found fully treated of in the latter part of this 
chapter. 

The foregoing practically closes the subject of the frame oi 
a cycle, and although a bicycle has been specifically treated of, 
yet many of the points, such as cranks, bearings, steering- 
head, &c., are practically identical with those used in other 
classes of machines, and the description here given will be 
sufficient. Such further items of cycle mechanism not applied 
to the bicycle will be treated of under the heading of the class 
of machine to which they are fitted. 

The foregomg as also the following sections are intended to 
convey some general idea of the mechanism of the machine 
the reader will use, but no particular machine is specifically 
described, because improvements are being introduced so 
rapidly that any minute description must of necessity become 
obsolete within a brief space of time. All that is required as 
regards the frame is a sharp eye for cracks and flaws. These 
are often only superficial, in the paint or the plating ; but they 
should in every case be most carefully examined, as any 
breakage may lead to serious damage to the rider. Nuts 
should not be constantly undone, and such as may not be 
easily reached should be looked at specially, as a loose nut 
often causes an accident. 



CONSTRUCTION. 347 



THE WHEELS. 



In discussing this subject it would be impossible to go at 
great length into minutiae, and as the various parts will all be 
duly considered separately, it is only necessary to allude gener- 
ally to the various types. The bone-shaker, witK its ec^ual 
sized and heavy wheels, has been replaced by the lighter 
machines of to-day, the suspension principle being* introduced 
and being mainly responsible for the wondrous lightening of 
the machine. Racers are now built weighing under twenty 
pounds, whilst a twenty-two pound machine is considered amply 
strong enough for an eleven-stone rider. The principle of the 
suspension wheel is best described by the means of a few simple 
diagrams. 

Fig. 26 represents a simplified wheel, a a a is supposed 
to be a rigid rim, b is the hub, and c c c c the spokes, v,^hilst 
w is the weight the wheel is supposed to carry. It is clear that 
hub, spokes, and rim would all have to be very stout and 
strong to withstand the wear and 
tear of the road. In the suspension 
wheel as applied to the modern 
bicycle, the rim is by no means so 
stout and rigid as the ideal rim a a a 
would have to be. The hollow 
rims fitted to many machines are 
both strong and rigid relatively, but 
nothing approaching in strength 
that of the ideal one. But the rim 
in its turn is supported by the 
spokes, themselves consisting of wire 
which under pressure would crumple up at once, but which 
under a tensile strain will withstand a ' pull ' of many pounds. 
In the Crystal Palace Electrical Exhibition some two or three 
years back was exhibited a piece of very thin wire which looked 
scarcely thicker than a horsehair by which was suspended a 




548 CYCLING. 

400-pound round shot ; thin piano wire is used in some wheels, 
and it is clear that if the spokes of this wire simply went direct 
from the rim to a flange at the hub the danger of a lateral collapse 
would be imminent. To meet this obvious tendency the hub is 
spread until the spokes are carried alternately to flanges 5 or 6 
inches or more apart, as shown idealised in fig. 27. Here the rim 
A A is shown in section, the spokes c c, as will be easily under- 
stood, being screwed up to a strong tension and tending to keep 
the rim true and in position whilst the strain on all the spokes 
is a tensile one ; so fully is this principle carried out that the 
butt end of the spoke is sometimes headed through a plain 
hole, as shown in fig. 30 (representing an old lock-nutted 
spoke), so that were it possible for the rider's weight to so far 
overcome the tension of the spokes as to press upon those 
which happened to be below the axle, they would slide through 
the hub and carry no weight at all. It will thus be seen that the 
wheel IS really a suspension wheel, and that the weight 
^ carried by it is hung or suspended on the spokes, 
although the tension put upon the spokes is much 
greater than any strain they may be expected to legiti- 
mately encounter. This principle has been very 
fully carried out, and the Surrey Machinist Company 
and Ellis & Co. have made wheels with hollow rims 
and spokes of marvellously thin wire, the last-named 
firm having made a 60-spoked 40-inch wheel for a 
FacilCj the spokes of which only weighed five ounces. 
The spokes, however, were not at first drawn quite so 
fine as this, as nearly all the earlier wheels had direct 
spokes. Fig. 28 shows the method of fixing the 
direct spokes in the old crescent rim ; the spokes 
"having been cut to the required lengths, the end was 
Fig. 27. passed through a countersunk hole in the rim as at 
c, and then its head b was made on the end of the spokes 
with a hand vice and a hammer. The head was drawn into 
the countersunk hole in the rim, in which it revolved as the 
spoke was screwed up. In the case of direct spokes, of which 



J\! 



CONSTRUCTION. 



349 



fig. 29 is an example ; h h being the hub, into which a hole 
with a thread in it is bored, and then the spoke with a corre- 
sponding worm cut upon it is screwed in until the necessary 
tension is obtained. Fig. 30 shows the earlier arrangement, a 
lock- nutted spoke. This spoke was headed at both ends, at 
the rim and at e inside the lock nut c c, which was screwed 



M 



A 




Fig. 28. 




further into the hub to increase the tension on the spoke, and 
when the wKeel was true the lock nut d was firmly screwed 
down in its turn to fasten the whole. This plan proved cum- 





FiG. 30. 



brous and unsatisfactory, and has long since been discarded 
in the best machines. In the earlier direct spoked machines 
the cutting of the thread sometimes caused the spoke to 
break off just at the insertion into the hub, and this accident, 
now of less frequent occurrence, was met by the invention of 
butt-ended spokes, shown in fig. 31, the end of the spoke 
being thickened and made sexagonal to admit of adjustment. 



350 



CYCLING. 



There are, of course, a number of other contrivances more 
or less ingenious in connexion with direct spokes, such as 
Andrews' plan of fitting a screw and socket in the middle 
of each spoke and securing adjustment in that way ; but 
these are points into which it would scarcely be profit- 
able to go at length. There is another very distinct type of 
wheel, divergent in many points from the direct spoke, and that 
is the Tangent w^heel. As its name implies, the spokes, in place 




Fig. 32.— new rapid tangent wheel. 



of going direct from the rim to the hub, are arranged at a 
tangent, thus affording a more rigid connexion between the 
hub and rim, and in many cases the rigidity obtainable from 
this arrangement has been most ingeniously made use of. The 
racing wheels of Invincible and New Rapid bicycles may be 
instanced as cases in point. In many tangent wheels very fine 
spokes are used, and their most delicate point is at the bend 
in the hub, where the double spoke is bent ' hair-pin ' fashion 



CONSTRUCTIO.Y. 351 

and again carried out to the rim, \vhere, beneath the rubber 
tire, is a small screw, whereby the tension is secured. 

There have, of course, been many other plans tested in the 
construction of wheels with more or less success. Thus we have 
tangent wheels, with binding rings of wire running round the 
spokes on either side, and many other schemes for producing 
a sound, rigid, and stable wheel ; but for all purposes of descrip- 
tion the details given of the direct and tangent spoked wheels 
will prove sufficient. 

The rims, or felloes, of wheels were at first made simply of 
solid iron pressed into shape ; they were called V rims, as their 
section was exactly like a wide V. These were followed in due 
turn by the U rim, also solid, and presently the crescent rim 
came to the front, this rim being U shaped, but thick in the 
middle and fining off to a comparatively thin edge when seen 
in section. Then came the hollow rims, undoubtedly the best 
of all. These rims are made in various ways : some, the 
Surrey Double Hollow rim for example, of strips of metal 
soldered into place ; others from steel tube, stamped into 
shape ; and others again from a long strip of fine metal, folded 
by machinery, and brazed. 

There are half-a-dozen sound, tried, and tested hollow rims 
in the market, and there are many minor variations in detail, 
all designed to effect one purpose or another. The hollow 
rim is now used on the road as well as the path, and adds 
much to the stability and rigidity of some of the best types of 
roadsters. 

The hubs, or bosses in the middle of the wheels, are also 
of very various patterns, to accommodate the various types 
of spokes with which they are fitted. Some are almost cup 
shaped, with small holes through which are threaded the 
tangent spokes ; others are somewhat heavier and stouter, to 
take the threaded ends of the direct spoke. Some hubs have 
wide flanges, and others are almost rudimentary, being reduced 
to simple collars fixed or turned on the axle, and these again 
are deeply recessed, presenting in section a bell-like appearance 



352 



CYCLING. 



to take the bearings which are put deeply into the hub, so as to 
keep 'the tread' of the machines, i.e. the width from pedal 
to pedal, as narrow as possible, this being illustrated in fig. 
the hub in section and the bearing in situ, the 



33, showin 





Fig. 33. 



Fig. 34. 



arrangement being but little exaggerated from the fact, a is 
the hub of which d d is the flange, e is the front fork, which 
is run very close to the flange and then turned sharply in at f 
(a very weak point) into the deep recess of the hub, where it 
is firmly locked to the bearing box b ; c is the crank on the 
axle end — a similar idea, more neatly carried out, is shown in 
fig. 34, the broad bearing box b (homogeneous with the fork 
end) being sunk into the hub on its inner side, and thus finding 
room for a double row of balls without making the tread any 
wider. Many other ingenious little plans and adaptations have 
been made in hub fittings, but none are of sufficient importance 
to need a lengthy notice. 

The remarks made at the end of the section treating of the 
frame apply here with equal force. The wheels used in tricycles 
are much the same as those used in bicycles. The hub in the 
former case is often wider, as giving more stabihty, and the 
spokes are thicker. 



CONSTRUCTION. 353 

The care of the wheels is a material point in the life of a 
cycle. Never play tricks with them ; if a spoke is loose, a 
spoke-tightener may be very carefully used, taking especial 
care to see that the rim is not pulled out of truth ; and in fact 
the job, however small, would be much better left to a com- 
petent workman. 

If a rider is compelled by adverse circumstances to try and 
adjust a damaged wheel, he should spin it rapidly whilst hold- 
ing a piece of chalk against the fork so as just to touch the rim. 
This, if the wheel be untrue, it will do only occasionally, and 
the marks will guide the worker. At the same time, it is by no 
means a task which everyone succeeds at, and if it is by any 
means possible to put it in the hands of a skilled workman, 
it should be done. 

In some makes the hub ends of the spokes are but poorly 
protected from rust ; where the spoke runs into the hub a little 
cranny remains to hold the moisture, which rusts through the 
spoke. With a very small brush and some liquid ' Brunswick 
black ' or enamel each of these crannies can be filled up. In 
a new machine rust will have little chance, for a time at 
least, of eating through the spoke and weakening it to break- 
ing-point. 

The wheels need care and watching, and they will then 
last a long time. 

TRICYCLES. 

The success of the improved bicycle drew the attention of 
makers to the hitherto despised 'velocipede,' which, though 
older than its narrow-gauge rival, had been quite distanced by it 
in the march of improvement ; and some few enterprising indivi- 
duals who aspired to the bicycle, but did not dare venture upon 
it, began to ask if it were not possible to construct a modernised 
velocipide, with all the advantages which the bicycle possessed 
in the shape of suspension wheels, hollow-tube frames, and so 
on, which should give a slow if comfortable method of travelling 
to those to whom the bicycle was denied. Accordingly very 

A A 



354 CYCLING. 

early in the history of the modern bicycle tricycles were made. 
Starley constructed one, so did Singer, and so did Messrs. 
Hiilman, Herbert, & Cooper. Starley invented the Coventry 
tricycle, which resembled in general plan the present Coventry 
Rotary, but in place of the rotary action there were two long 
levers which drove the driving wheel by means of a cranked 
axle. Singer brought out the Challenge tricycle, a lever-driven 
machine. No sooner were these machines put commercially 
upon the market than practical riders discovered in them a new 
and valuable addition to the cyclist's stud. Some of the 
earher successes on the path and road having been achieved 
upon rear steerers, Derkinderin's victory in the first road ride 
and Corbett's win at Leicester in the spring of 1881 being 
cases in point, popular favour leant to this type of vehicle, and 
as the earlier front-steerers were fitted with ridiculously small 
steering wheels, the rear-steerers were found to ascend hills 
and plough through rough ground with greater ease ; but the 
many and insuperable disadvantages attached to the latter class 
soon made themselves very clearly manifest. Down hill the 
rear-steerer was utterly unreliable, as the rider's weight was 
taken off the steering wheel, whilst any application of the break 
simply lifted it clean off the ground at once. Moreover, the 
rider had to sit well back even on the level to secure a steady 
steering, and this brought him behind his work. So it is not 
wonderful that in a couple of seasons the rear-steering tricycle 
became obsolete, and the front-steerer took its place. The 
front-steerer was, however, by no means perfect, and it is only 
within the last few years that large front wheels, bicycle steering, 
and similar improvements have been introduced. The old 
bath-chair spade-handled front-steering tricycle is fast follow- 
ing the old rear-steerer into obscurity. The various types of 
tricycles, single and double, are alluded to below, the machines 
described being in each case typical of a class. The main 
divisions may be best described as follows : i. the Humber 
type ; 2. the Cripper ; 3. the Quadrant ; 4. the Coventry 



CONSTRUCTION. 355 

Rotary; 5. the Olympia type. All these varying types have 
been fully tested, and may be regarded as the digested and 
perfected outcome of a long course of practical experience. 



SINGLE- AND DOUBLE-DRIVERS. 

So numerous and diverse are the forms and construction of 
the modern tricycle, that it would be quite impossible to give 
even a bare description of their various characteristics within 
the limits of the present volume. Such a catalogue, moreover, 
would be tedious and uninstructive to the reader, and would 
probably leave in his mind simply a feeling of bewilderment 
at the almost endless variety presented to his view. Happily it 
is possible to indicate certain general principles under which 
all machines may be classed. Thus, the mode in which the 
muscular force of the rider is communicated to the tricycle at 
once differentiates machines into two distinct classes, viz. — 

Single-drivers, and 
Double-drivers, 



the latter being again divided into two sub-classes, according 
as they are driven by 

Two-chain clutch gear, or 
Single-chain balance gear. 

The systems upon which these different methods of con- 
struction are founded, arid their respective advantages, may be 
thus explained. For the moment let it be supposed that, of 
the three wheels composing a tricycle, two, called for convenience 
the road wheels, are of equal diameter and placed at either end 
of an axle (termed the main axle), whilst the third wheel is 
used merely to give support, or as a means of steering (or both). 

It is the road wheels that provide the means of propulsion, 
and according as one or both wheels are actuated by the rider, 
the machine takes its name of single- or double-driver. The 

A A 2 



356 CYCLING, 

method by which motion is imparted to the road wheels does 
not at present concern the reader. The question is, whether 
it is better that one or both of the wheels should be driven. 
No doubt can ever have been rationally entertained on this 
point. Clearly to perceive the effect of driving one road wheel 
only, it is only necessary to suppose the steering wheel to be 
at the same moment lifted from the ground. Obviously, the 
machine would at once swerve away to the side opposite 
the driven wheel. With the steering wheel on the ground, the 
actual swerve of the machine is prevented, but only at the cost 
of a large amount of force uselessly expended in producing 
side strain on the steering wheel. In point of fact, this side 
strain does by slow degrees cause the machine to swerve to the 
other side of the road, and it is necessary continually to correct 
this tendency by a slight turn of the steering handle. Another 
serious disadvantage attaches to the single driver — viz. that 
when great force is exerted by the rider, as in hill climbing, or 
when the road is loose or slippery, the driven wheel is apt to 
slip round for want of sufficient adhesion to the road. On 
the other hand, when both wheels are driven, the adhesion of 
the wheels is doubled and their liability to slip is practically 
prevented. The superiority of double-drivmg bemg so clearly 
apparent, it may be wondered why single-driving v:as ever had 
recourse to. The answer to this is, that in order to drive both 
wheels equally forward in a straight course, and yet admit of 
either wheel outrunning the other in passing round a curve, 
mechanical contrivances of considerable ingenuity are required. 
It is the various means of achieving this double purpose 
that now come under notice. It will be obvious to the reader 
that when a machine describes a curvilinear course, the outer 
driving wheel must necessarily move both farther and faster 
than the inner wheel. From this it follows that both driving 
wheels cannot be rigidly fixed to the main axle (this latter being 
driven from the crank-shaft) ; nor, supposing both wheels to 
carry a toothed pulley on the hub and to run free on the axle 
(straight or curved), can the wheels even in that case be geared 



CONSTRUCTION. 357 

by chains to fixed pulleys on the crank-axle. For, in both of 
these supposed cases, the driving wheels would necessarily rotate 
at one and the same rate, and the machine could not be made 
to turn a corner unless the outer wheel were either lifted from 
the ground or forcibly skidded along it. The first of these 
alternatives is manifestly impracticable ; whilst the second, in- 
volving as it does the skidding of a rubber tire sideways, would 
certainly lead to a sudden arrest and probably to the capsizing 
of the machine, with a stripping of the tire, and so on. Hence it 
follows that when each wheel is driven by a separate chain, a 
means must be provided for allowing either wheel to run on 
faster than the other. There is no need to describe all the 
various expedients that are or have been used for this end, 
the purpose of this chapter being, as already defined, not to 
catalogue varieties, but to explain principles. 

The broad distinction between double-drivers with two 
chains and single-chain double-drivers is that the former are 
worked by means of a clutch action. That is to say, either the 
chain-pulleys on the crank-shaft are fastened to the shaft by 
means of clutches, or the chain-wheels on the wheel-hubs are 
so fastened to the driving wheels. The latter was the plan 
followed by the makers of the old Devon, two chains being 
made use of. The clutch employed was in effect the ordinary 
ratchet and pawl, the principle of which is so well understood 
as not to require explanation. A little consideration will show 
that this form of clutch has two drawbacks, (i) It does not 
admit of back-pedalling. For, if the wheels are, severally or 
together, capable of running on in advance of the crank-shaft, 
it follows that pedalling the crank-shaft backwards does not 
retard the wheels. Hence, the inventor of the Devon (Mr. F. 
Warner Jones) was led to add to the machine his ingenious 
and effective ground-break, actuated by the foot, which com- 
pensated for the inability to back-treadle. (2) The ratchet 
and pawl clutch unavoidably occasion a disagreeable clicking 
noise whenever the wheels run forward unactuated by the 
crank-shaft ; as, for example, in running down hill, the treadles 



358 CYCLING. 

the while being held stationary. For these reasons, added to 
some other minor objections, this form of double-driving has 
never been in any great request, and it is now rapidly falHng 
into desuetude. Its use is, in fact, now almost completely 
confined to machines of the Omnicycle and Merlin class, in 
which the action is reciprocating, not rotary. 

The two- chain double-driver must not, however, be dis- 
missed from consideration without giving due attention to the 
form in which it has attained the greatest popularity ; viz. that 
in which the chain-wheels on the crank-shaft are actuated 
through a friction-clutch. The best known friction-clutches is 
that adopted on the Cheylesmore rear-steerer, and is illustrated 
in the appended cut. 




Fig. 35.— the cheylesmore two-chain clutch gear. 

P is the chain pulley, one being placed at either end of the crank-shaft, and 
capable of freely revolving thereon, except when jambed bj-the shallow rollers, R. 
These rollers lie in a cavity formed by a circular recess in the pulley and a steel 
disc, D, which is shaped off on four sides so as to form alternately hollows and 
wedges. The disc, d, is a fixture on the crank-shaft. When the latter moves 
forward in the direction shown by the arrows, the rollers, R, are jambed between 
the disc and the inner surface of the pulley, p, and the whole of the parts, pulley 
included, run solid. The machine is then driven. On the contrary, when D is 
turned in the opposite direction, the rollers pass into the hollow spaces, and there 
simply rotate without Jambing. This also happens when the crank-shaft, with 
the disc d, is held stationary as in running down hill, in which case the pulley p 
runs on, rotating the rollers in the hollows as abready explained. 

It will be observed that in this, as well as in the ratchet and 
pawl clutch, each of the road wheels is capable of running 
forward faster than the other, which must, of course, always 
happen when the machine is not running in a straight course. 



CONSTRUCTION. 359 

In al! such cases, the wheels describe two concentric curves, 
the radius of which may be considered as a prolongation of the 
axis of the road wheels to a point which is nearer to the machine 
in proportion to the abruptness of the curve in which the 
machine is moving, as, for instance, in turning a corner. Tiie 
wheel which describes the outer of these two curves is, obviously, 
the one which moves both faster and farther than the other. 
And here is brought out a cardinal defect in this class of double- 
driver. The outer wheel, from the conditions of the case, 
manifestly requires a larger share of the propelling force than the 
inner wheel ; yet, as a consequence of iis outrunning the other 
wheel, it and its connected chain-wheel move faster than the 
crank-shaft, the effect being that the latter expends its whole 
force in the driving of the inner road wheel — the one, viz. which 
at this particular juncture requires little or no propulsion. 

It may be urged that this wrong application of power in 
going round a curve is but of slight importance, as, at the 
worst, it can only result in compelling the rider to make a wider 
circuit in turning a corner. This, however, is a mistake. It is 
but very seldom that a machine is running absolutely straight. To 
the extent that its course is curvihnear, its wheels are unequally 
driven. Furthermore, it may well be that for small periods of 
time only one wheel is driven. For let us suppose that the 
machine, after moving in a curve, is steered into a straight 
course. In describing the curve, the outer wheel has freed it- 
self from the clutch, and run on. It is probable, therefore, that 
at the moment when the machine resumes a straight course this 
wheel is not in active connexion with the driving power. In 
other words, the clutch on that side has not yet ' taken up ' its 
work ; it has not yet overtaken the wheel, and by consequence 
the latter is not yet driven. The points of application of the 
power in the clutch under description are four only in number, 
and there is, of course, abundance of neutral space in which 
the clutch and driving power are non-eflective. To make our 
meaning still more clear, suppose both the clutches — one at 
either end of the crank shaft — to be free, i.e. not yet to have 



36o CYCLING. 

arrived, in the process of a revolution, ^t the point at which each 
would take up its work. Now suppose that the crank-shaft is 
put in rotation, and that the near clutch engages and takes up its 
work before the off clutch has advanced sufficiently far to do the 
same thing. It follows that the off clutch, with its driving pulley, 
is not driving at all, and that it cannot do so until the machine 
has swerved, or been turned slightly to the near side, which 
will enable the off clutch to overtake its work. But observe, 
this very act may to a like extent have thrown the near clutch 
out of work. And so the see-saw may go on, varied only at 
the particular conjunctures when both clutches happen to take 
up at the same moment. When they do this, and so long as 
they continue conjointly to act, the machine is a true double- 
driver, and it is so at no other time. 

Herein, without doubt, lies the true explanation of what has 
often been asserted to us by riders of this class of machine, viz. 
that on removing one of the chains the machine was found to 
work equally well. Though we cannot fully endorse that view, we 
certainly consider it open to question whether, the machine being 
but an imperfect double-driver, the extra w^eight of a second set 
of chain-wheels, clutch, and chain, is altogether w^orth carrying. 
In this connexion it is well not to omit to say that, in order to 
obviate the impossibihty of back-pedalling with a clutch gear, a 
mechanical contrivance is sometimes introduced, by means of 
which the rider, by the slight movement of a lever, is enabled 
to lock the lower pulley to the crank-shaft. Practical expe- 
rience shows that this arrangement is not very often applied 
to a machine, and that even then it is but seldom brought into 
use. 

The last, and by far the most important, division of the sub- 
ject must now be treated of, viz. that which treats of single- 
chain balance gear. 

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that one of the most im- 
portant steps made in the evolution of the modern tricycle was 
the application of differential driving gear to its propulsion. 
For this great improvement tricyclists are indebted to the late 



CONSTRUCTION. 



361 



James Starley,.of Coventry, who in the year 1877 took out a 
patent for the driving gear figured in fig. t,6, which to the pre- 
sent time remains the type and exemplar of the various diffe- 
rential gears since brought out, and every tricyclist should have 
a clear idea of the principle on which it acts. 

As already explained, the object to be attained is, to pro- 
vide a means of driving both road wheels equally forward in a 
straight course, and yet to. permit one of the wheels to outrun 
the other when the machine is going round a curve. The de- 
scription of the particular method of achieving this end, adopted 




Fig. 36. 

A, bevel-wheel fixed to hub of loo=;e driving wheel, n, bevel-wheel fixed to main 
axle, c, small mitre-wheei, revolving on a stud fixed in the plane of the chain- 
pulley, and gearing with A and B. d, main axle, running through from side to 
side of the machine. At one end is fixed the road wheel, which is driven by B ; 
at the other end rotates the loose road wheel before alluded to, which is fixed to 
A. E is the chain-pulley, through which the power is brought from the crank- 
axle. 



and applied to the tricycle by James Starley, will be clearly 
understood by reference to the appended cut. 

It will be observed that the pulley e runs free upon the main 
axle, or rather that it would do so but for its connexion, by 
means of the mitre wheel, with the two bevelled wheels a and 



362 CYCLING. 

B. But the mitre-wheel c is in gear with a and b at its opposite 
sides. Consequently when the pulley e moves forward, its little 
mitre-wheel encounters an equal and opposite resistance from 
A and B. Suppose the pulley e to be rotated towards the 
reader and the bevelled wheel a to be away ; c w^ould roll 
round b, i.e. it would rotate on its axis in the same direction as 
the hands of a watch ; whilst, under the same circumstances, 
but with B away, c would roll round A in the reverse direction. 
From this it will be seen that when e is rotated (the resistance 
to A and B being supposed equal), the mitre-wheel c will exert 
an equal and opposite pressure on a and b. As a consequence 
c will be unable to rotate, but being carried bodily round by e, 
will drag a and b round with it ; whilst a and b, being connected 
with their respective road wheels, will communicate to them the 
forward motion of the pulley. Readers will have noticed the 
important qualification introduced above, viz. that the resist- 
ance offered by a and b shall be equal. This can only be the 
case when their respective road wheels are running in a straight 
course, and on a similar surface. If one wheel is traversing a 
rough and the other a smooth part of the road, the resistance 
to A and b is unequal, the balance on the mitre-wheel c is 
destroyed, and the latter, rotating on its axis, rolls forward 
and imparts a larger proportion of driving force to the wheel 
which is less impeded than its fellow. This is, in point of fact, 
the besetting weakness of this and every other balance gear, con- 
sidered as driving agents. Suppose the machine to be driven 
forward along a straight road of uniform surface. The action 
of the balance gear is then perfect ; the power is equally ex- 
pended on both wheels, the wheels, the balance gear, and the 
upper chain pulley revolve as one piece. But now suppose 
the near road wheel (for example) to be on a sudden impeded 
by some obstacle in the road, such as a large stone. The 
balance on the mitre-wheel c is at once destroyed. It com- 
mences to rotate on its axis, and in the same degree that the 
near road wheel is retarded the off road wheel is put forward, 
or vice versa. In other words, the road wheel that requires 



CONSTRUCTION. 363 

a larger portion of the power to help it over the obstacle 
receives in fact less than the comparatively speaking unim 
peded wheel. The result is that a side strain is thrown 
upon the steering wheel whenever there is an inequality 
in the resistance encountered by the respective road wheels. 
So long as this difference in the resistance is only small its effect 
on the steering wheel is comparatively unimportant. But all 
riders are familiar with the fact that if a serious impediment 
to one of the driving wheels is met with, the steering wheel is 
powerless to hold the machine in a straight course ; the driven 
wheel runs forward, the steering wheel is forced sideways along 
the ground, the machine swerves suddenly to one side, and if 
moving fast not improbably turns right over. Hence it will be 
seen that an ideal balance gear, could such be devised, would 
be so constructed that the two road wheels, the main axle, and 
the driving gear should run as one piece so long as the machine 
is taking a straight course, because then both the driving power 
and the forward momentum would directly co-operate in 
enabling the road wheels to surmount the obstacles individually 
or jointly encountered. The side strain on the front wheel and 
the swerving of the machine would in this way be reduced to a 
minimum ; and cyclists look forward with pleasure to the time 
when some efficient means of attaining this desirable end shall 
have been brought into use. Meanwhile, putting aside an ideal 
which is perhaps unattainable, they have in Starley's balance gear 
and its congeners a very excellent means of driving both road 
wheels straight forward, with the necessary provision for their 
separate and unequal motion when required, as already described. 
Starley's gear has attained a just celebrity as the first applica- 
tion of this principle to the tricycle ; and though several 
varieties have since been brought out in which straight-toothed 
wheels are employed, there is not one which effects more than 
Starley's. Some, indeed, effect less than Starley's, inasmuch as 
they are not true balance drivers at all, but at ever)^ moment 
exert more pressure on one wheel than on the other The 
result is that the machine incessantly swerves to the side 



364 CYCLING. 

opposite to the wheel which receives the larger share of force. 
Riders have a ready means of ascertaining, even without riding, 
w^hether a machine is fitted with a true double-driving balance 
gear. Having swung or propped up the machine so that the 
road wheels are off the ground, fix the crank-shaft immovably 
in order that the upper pulley of the balance gear may be held 
fast by the chain. Then, with the hand move one of the road 
wheels round a complete revolution. If tlie balance gear is a 
true one, the other road wheel will also make a complete re- 
volution, but in the opposite direction. Should it make either 
more or less than an entire revolution, the balance gear (im- 
properly so called) is not a true and equal double-driver. Of 
this fact there can be no question, though opinions may differ 
as to the degree of importance to be attached to it. 

As already mentioned, the aim in this chapter has been to 
explain the mechanical import of balance gear, not to describe 
in detail its varied construction. Those readers who desire to 
acquire a knowledge of the several varieties now in use will 
find full information in the valuable Handbook compiled by 
Mr. Henry Sturmey, a w^ork which is strongly recommended to 
all cyclists. 

The part played by the balance gear in racing is of equal 
importance, seeing that but for its intervention the sudden spurts 
and desperate efforts of the racing tricyclist w^ould inevitably 
overcome the grip of his steering wheel on the path, and cause 
his machine to swerve and sway in a most dangerous manner. 
Any cyclist can demonstrate this fact easily by mounting a 
single-driving machine of any type and jerking the pedals ; 
he will find that the driven wheel will exhibit a strong ten- 
dency to run round the loose w^heel, and he can then appre- 
ciate what such a tendency might do at the final moment of a 
race. 

The invention of the balance gear has not exactly made 
cycling possible, because it was possible under other conditions, 
viz. with two chains, and so on ; but the apphcation of the 
balance gear to tricycles has made high speeds on road and 



CONSTRUCTION. 365 

path safe ; it has given the tourist the power of back-i^edalling 
with the same perfect action of the balance gear, and it has 
done much to encourage the lightening of tricycle wheels. The 
two-chain and similar methods had the disadvantage of throw- 
ing a great deal of strain upon the wheel which happened to be 
actually driven, and so in many ways the sport of tricycling has 
been benefited by its application. But, as pointed out above, 
there are balance gears and balance gears, and it will always be 
well for riders to ascertain for themselves the merits of the gear 
fitted to their chosen mounts. Of course Starley's is one of the 
best, and a large number of firms fit that gear under a royalty 
to the representatives of the original inventor. Amongst the 
firms whose balance gears are made on sound lines will be 
found most of the best names in the trade. The main feature 
which should be investigated is the relative size of the bevel 
wheels ; these, it is obvious, must have exactly the same radial 
leverage, i.e. must be of the same diameter to the outside edges 
of the teeth, otherwise the effect of the same amount of resist- 
ance on each wheel will become unequally operative in the gear- 
box, and that defeats the whole object of the contrivance. The 
results are sometimes attained in a most ingenious manner, as, 
for example, in the Sparkbrook balance gear, of which an 
entirely novel method is employed. The case becomes the 
equivalent of the cone wheel, and the action of this gear is as 
accurate and certain as can be wished ; whilst experience has 
demonstrated that it will stand lengthy and hard wear, it is 
fitted to sociables and tandems, in which it receives a very com- 
plete testing, and it has behaved admirably. It is invariably 
fitted to machines bearing the name 'Sparkbrook,' and the 
machine having that designation is much liked on both road 
and path. The Premier tricycle is fitted with another excellent 
pattern of Starley's balance gear which works satisfactorily, 
as also are the Humber machines. In the double-steerer of 
this type, the gear is fitted in a remarkably neat manner, the 
end of the axle-sleeve is enlarged into something like the neck 
and shoulders of a wide-mouthed bottle, as shown in fig. 37. 



366 



CYCLING. 



The off wheel is fixed to the axle, which comes right through 
and has fixed to it just inside the neck of the bottle a bevel- 
wheel ; the other wheel runs loose on the end of the axle and 
has cast upon its hub another and similar bevel-wheel, whilst 
two coned wheels running on pins fixed to the circumference of 
the bottle (or case as it is properly termed) engage these two 
bevel- wheels, and the gear acts in the usual way. This was the 
first gear constructed in so small a compass, and as it is 
closed in most thoroughly, there is less noise from the teeth, 

whilst the adoption of two 
coned wheels does a great 
deal to prevent undue shaki- 
ness. This is an easy run- 
ning and most satisfactory 
gear. There are many more 
good adaptations of the same 
principle, but a bad balance 
gear, bad in principle or badly 
fitted, will entirely spoil a 
machine. Once in a way the 
gear may require cleaning. 




Fig. 27- 



and care should always be taken to keep it well oiled, whilst 
careful riders after each oiling spin one wheel with the other 
on the ground so as to ensure the spread of the lubricant. 

Throughout the foregoing remarks, we have, for the purposes 
of description, assumed that a balance gear only acts when 
power is communicated to it through the small coned wheel (or 
its equivalent). It will be obvious, however, that a balance 
gear equally acts when the machine is being pushed, or is run- 
ning down hill, with the rider's feet on the rest. The reader 
will do well, therefore, clearly to grasp the general principles of 
all balance gears accurately constructed, viz. that they consist 
of a contrivance by which the two driving wheels are coupled 
together in such a way that either wheel can outstrip the other 
when the machine is deflected from a straight course by the 
steering ; that when so running each wheel receives its due 



CONSTRUCTION. 



3^7 



amount of force from the balance gear ; that, when the machine 
is running straight, with an equal resistance opposed to the two 
driving wheels, each of the latter receives an equal share of the 
power ; but with this further unavoidable drawback that, the 
driving wheels when opposed (as they usually are) by an unequal 
road resistance, are no longer in balance, and are therefore 
driven by the balance gear in unequal degrees, the effect being 
the same as if the machine were very slightly steered to right or 
left, although, under the circumstances supposed, the steering 
wheel prevents any actual deviation of the machine from a 
straight course. 



GEARING LEVEL, UP AND DOWN. 

One of the first points which a tricyclist requires to have 
explained to him is the gearing of his machine, for ' What are 
you geared to ? ' is a question which very often nonplusses the 
beginner. The gearing of a tricycle is dependent upon the 
relative size of the pulley wheels over 
w^hich the chain or chains run, the dif- 
ference in size increasing or decreasing 
the number of wheel revolutions as com- 
pared with the pedal revolutions. 

Fig. 38 is merely a guide diagram to 
illustrate the positions of the pulley wheels 
in a balance-geared tricycle ; the lower 
one B fixed firmly to the pedal crank, 
and the upper one a being part of the 
balance gear and carrying inside the 
pinion wheels of that gear (which is fully 
described elsewhere), and thus communicating the power to 
both the driving wheels ; the relative sizes of a and b control 
the gearing of the machine, except when a two-speed gear inter- 
venes, which will be fully explained further on. 

There are three divisions into which gearing can be divided, 
viz. level gearing, gearing up, and gearing down. 




Fig. 38, 



368 



CYCLING, 



LEVEL GEARING. 



When a machine is level geared the pulley wheels are of 
exactly the same size, as in fig. 39 ; the chain c c passes over 
both, and as each pulley wheel necessarily 
carries the same number of teeth, and as the 
teeth are equidistant on each wheel, they natu- 
rally fall into the links of the chain in due pro- 
portion. For example, suppose each pulley 
w^heel carries nine teeth, it is clear that if the 
bottom pulley b be rotated once, it will 'eat 
up ' (to use a graphic and comprehensible 
expression) nine equidistant links of the chain, 
and in doing so will cause a corresponding 
number of links to be withdrawn from the 
upper wheel a, which will thus make a cor- 
responding (complete) revolution. The pulley wheel a being 
directly in connexion with the main axle, it follows that for 
one complete turn of the pulley wheel b, which is rigidly keyed 
on to the pedal crank, the driving axle will also make one com- 
plete revolution ; the machine in this case is said to be geared 
level to whatever may be the size of the driving wheels in the 
case of a tricycle, and to the driving wheel in the case of a dwarf 
bicycle, in which the same principle obtains without, however, 
the intervention of a balance gear. Supposing the tricycle 
thus geared to have 48-inch wheels, it would be conversationally 
described as ' geared level to 48.' 




GEARING DOWN. 



Gearing down may be defined as that arrangement of the 
pulley wheels which causes the pedals to revolve more fre- 



quently than the 



driving 



wheels. Fig. 40 shows such an 



arrangement. The lower pulley wheel, for easier comprehen- 
sion, is supposed to be the same size as in the foregoing figure, 
and carries nine teeth, but the upper pulley wheel a is made 



CONSTRUCTION. 



369 




larger and carries eighteen teeth (this merely to simplify the 

explanation, as in practical use such a combination T\'ould 

seldom be found). It is obvious that for one 

revolution of the bottom pulley Avheel b (in 

effect, of course, one revolution of the pedal 

crank to which it is keyed), the bottom wheel b 

will as before take up nine links of the chain c c, 

but inasmuch as the upper wheel a has eighteen 

teeth upon its periphery, the nine teeth of the 

lower wheel only effect half a revolution of the 

upper wheel, and t2V0 complete revolutions of 

the wheel b (i.e. the pedals) are required to make 

A complete one revolution ; and as a is attached 

as heretofore to the main driving axle, when the ^^ '^°' 

pedals have made one revolution, the driving wheels will only 

have made half a revolution. Thus to arrive at the gearing of 

the machine it is necessary to take the result of a complete 

revolution of the pedals ; this, if applied to the former example, 

a 48-inch tricycle, would be half a revolution of a 48-inch wheel 

which equals 24-inch, and the machine would be said to be 

'geared down to 24.' 

GEARING UP. 

A machine is said to be geared up when the pedal revolu- 
tions are fewer than the revolutions of the driving wheel. Fig. 
41 illustrates this point, using the proportions as before, and in 
this case they are not so unusual, for I\Ir, P. T. Letchford's racing 
Humber tricycle in the season of 1885 was fitted with 30-inch 
driving wheels geared up to 60, his top pulley having five 
and his bottom pulley ten teeth. In this figure the top pulley 
wheel A carries nine teeth and the bottom one b eighteen teeth. 
If the pedals (rigidly connected with b) are made to complete 
one revolution, the pulley wheel b will eat up eighteen links of 
the chain, but as wheel a only carries nine teeth, it must make 
tiuo complete revolutions to satisfy the requirements of the 
wheel B. Wheel a being attached as before to the main axle, 

b b 




370 CYCLING. 

the driving wheels will have to make two complete revolutions 
for one turn of the pedals, and a 48-inch machine so arranged 
would be said to be ' geared up to 96.' 

The mechanical advantages of gearing will be clear to the 
most superficial observer, even though such a 
one has but Httle knowledge of mechanics. For 
example, when a machine is geared down as in 
fig. 40, each pedal comes more frequently into 
action, and the crank leverage becomes of more 
value ; thus supposing the geared-down machine 
to have a 6-inch crank, the rider is practically 
driving a 24-inch wheel with a 6-inch crank or 
lever. This provides an unnecessary amount 
of power, as 40- and 50-inch machines are easily 
driven by ordinary riders with 5 -inch cranks, 
and although the immense power thus available 
at the low gearing may prove of service up steep hills, yet on 
the level the pace at which the feet would have to be ro- 
tated would tend to exhaust the rider. Conversely, of course, 
a geared-up machine requires more muscular exertion, but the 
pedals move more slowly. Supposing anyone foolish enough 
to have a machine geared up to 96-inch as in the last example, 
the rider would be driving a 96-inch wheel with a 6-inch crank, 
which would of course necessitate very hard labour indeed, and 
a moderate gear of about 56-inch will be found amply high 
enough for the strongest rider on the road. Light active riders 
without much muscular power will do better with a lower gear- 
ing, as they are able to pedal quicker with less exhaustion. For 
this reason a tolerably low gear is very advisable for ladies who 
ride tricycles, and 50-inch may be taken as a very fair average. 
Very heavy men with great muscular power are very soon ex- 
hausted by rapid pedalling, but they can be easily suited with 
a higher gearing, which simply requires more muscular exertion 
and less rapidity of motion. On the racing path, higher gears 
have proved successful. The machines used in races are ex- 
ceedingly light, and the paths being level and easy, there is 



CONSTRUCTION. yjl 

nothing to interfere with the running of the machine. Some 
riders have tried very high gears, up as high as 70 or even 80 
inches, but the slow action was all against that quick spurting 
which is a sifie qua 71071 in race riding, and moderate gears of 
about 60 to 64 are found most suitable. Mr. Percy Furnivall, 
the One JMile Amateur Tricycle Champion of 1885, won that 
race upon a Beeston Humber, with 40-inch wheels, which was 
geared thus : pulley wheel a (see foregoing figures) 10 teeth, 
pulley wheel b 15 teeth. In this case wheel a had to make three 
revolutions to two of wheel b's, or one turn of the pedals caused 
the driving wheels to turn one and a half times, the driving 
wheels being 40 inches in diameter, one and a half revolutions 
= 60 inches. Mr. Furnivall's machine would therefore be 
properly described as 'a 40-inch Humber geared to 60 inches.' 
Gearing down is most advisable for weak riders and road 
men who primarily desire ease and comfort at the sacrifice of 
speed. A roadster tricycle with 50- inch wheels geared down 
to 44 inches or so, is in many cases a most suitable machine 
for the steady tourist. The large wheels are of especial value 
in mitigating the vibrations caused by the roughness of the road, 
the radial leverage being greater; and any rider of average weight 
who is desirous of securing comfort can soon satisfy himself as 
to the advantages which large wheels possess by practical ex- 
periment on rough or bumpy roads. Very diminutive riders 
and light weights can use a proportionately smaller wheel with 
comfort and ease, but for the average rider wheels not less than 
46 inches in diameter are desirable, except in the case of a 
machine such as the Quadrant, in which all three wheels do 
their share of the weight-carrying, and special provision is made 
by fitting a large front wheel to prevent the discomforts so 
obvious in small-wheeled machines. For those who have the 
misfortune to be lame or weak in one leg, ' gearing down ' 
affords a complete relief, for a machine geared down as low as 
in the foregoing example, i.e. to 24 inches, could be easily pro- 
pelled with one leg, though, of course, at no very great pace. 
Messrs. Hillman, Herbert, & Cooper of Coventry have amongst 



372 CYCLING 

their customers a gentleman with only one leg, the lost limb being 
replaced by a wooden one. He has one of their front-steering 
Premier tricycles, with a socket in place of a foot-rest for his 
artificial limb ; the machine is geared down to about 30 
inches, and although he lives in a hilly district, he is enabled to 
propel the machine at a pace which more than doubles his 
unaided rate of progression. This is a fair example of the 
especial value of low gearing. Beginners should always adopt 
a low gearing in the earher stages of their novitiate, as they 
will not wishi to attempt high speeds, and the easier work will 
enable the muscles to adapt themselves to the novel conditions 
without breaking down. After the first few months of riding 
different arrangements of gearing should be tried, until the one 
most suitable to the individual rider is discovered. 

Gearing up, as pointed out above, offers especial advantages 
to strong, heavy, and muscular men, who, gifted by nature with 
plenty of physical energy, are capable of exerting the extra 
power required to propel the highly-geared machine. Such 
persons are easily exhausted by rapid movement, just as a 
heavy cart-horse, which would soon succumb if forced along 
at high speed, yet works satisfactorily at heavy but slow tasks. 
Many muscular and heavy men, somewhat past the heyday of 
youth, and not so active and lissome as they once were, have 
relinquished tricycling solely because their attempts to attain 
a good average pace upon a geared-down machine led to 
exhaustion and distress. Gifted with plenty of the power 
necessary for propelling a tricycle, they found themselves 
practically unable to apply it because of the rapid rotation of 
the pedals, the heavy and slow muscular frame suffering from 
the effort at rapidity. For such riders the change from a 
machine geared down to 45 inches to one geared up to 
55 produces a complete revolution in their ideas as to the 
labour of riding. In place of the hasty plying of the feet and 
the breathless and exhausting attempts to accelerate their pace 
still more, the uncomfortable position, and the obvious waste 
of muscular power, the rider, mounted anew upon a high-geared. 



CONSTRUCTION. 



373 



i.e. geared-up machine, will be seen sitting upright, in an easy 
attitude and driving his wheels with slow powerful strokes, 
finding a new and enhanced pleasure in the comfortable 
exercise of his muscular power and bodily weight. The 
experiences of the last few seasons will provide every cyclist 
with numerous instances of such a course proving in every 
way successful. Racing men as a body use high gearings ; 
some, like Mr. Henry Sturmey of Coventry, a well-known 
writer on cycle construction, have tried gearing as high as 
80 inches, but the gain in pace was not notable, whilst the 
difficulty of accelerating the speed — picking up the spurt — ■ 
was a fatal drawback from a racing man's point of view. From 
60 to 65 inches is the maximum for track gearing, where 
everything favours the easy running of the light and fragile 
racing machine. 

The advantages of gearing up have been much increased 
by the reduction which has been effected in the weight of tri- 
cycles, a reduction for which every road rider owes to the 
racing men a debt of gratitude, inasmuch as the use of light 
machines upon the path has enabled and encouraged the 
makers to try and construct the road machine lighter too, so 
that at the present time machines are in constant use upon the 
road which a season or two back would have been considered 
light racers. The hghtening of the roadster has enabled road 
men to use a much higher gearing than they could have done 
under the old system, and many of our best known men use a 
gearing of 60 inches and in some instances even more on the 
road. On the other hand, for very long road journeys a lower 
gear is sometimes adopted ; thus Mr. T. R. Marriott, in his 
record ride in 1S85 from Land's End to John o' Groat's, rode 
a INIarriott & Cooper Humber tricycle geared only to 50 
inches. High gearings can only be used upon the road with 
any real success by riders who, in addition to mere physical 
stiength, are also practically accomplished in the art of pe- 
dalling, fully described elsewhere, which is a sine qua non in 
the matter of racing and fast road work. When this has been 



374 CYCLING. 

tlioroughly mastered, the rider can make the necessary experi- 
ments to ascertain which gear suits him best. It is customary 
with many cychsts who use tricycles or dwarf machines to alter 
their gearing for the winter. The lower bracket with the lower 
pulley wheel in the case of a tricycle (or the pulley wheels in 
the case of a safety bicycle) is changed for one with a wheel of 
smaller diameter and fewer teeth, and the chain shortened one 
link or so, thus making the machine easier to propel, but of 
course slower at the normal rate of pedalUng. A good many 
racing men, on the other hand, ride all the winter through on 
high-geared machines, thus building up heavy muscle against 
the racing season, when plenty of path work and no road riding 
will again fine it down to racing shape ; for hard work of any 
sort invariably slows the racing man, whilst path work will 
weaken him, so that he cannot ride w^ell on the road for some 
time after he gives up racing and racing training. 



TWO-SPEED GEARS. 

The subject of two-speed, or ' speed and power ' gearings, 
as they are more properly, but also more cumbrously termed, 
follows naturally upon a dissertation upon the effects of gear- 
ing up and down. Ere this the reader will have recognised 
ihe advantages which would obviously accrue to a rider if he 
were able to have a machine geared both up and down, so that 
whilst on the level he w^ould be able to fly along with his wheels 
running at a high gearing, say, for example, over 6o-inch, yet 
when he encountered a hill he would have the means of instan- 
taneously changing his gear to 38 or 40 inches, and thus reap 
the known advantages of a low gear when facing a stiff ascent. 
The want of such a combination having declared itself to all 
practical observers very early in the history of the tricycle, 
many plans for effecting that object have been brought forward 
and practically tested, 

Some of the earliest, used upon lever-driven machines, 
depended upon the various powers obtainable by shifting the 



CONS TR UCTION. 375 

attachment of the driving links along the pedal lever. This 
primitive plan had many disadvantages. The segment through 
which the pedal moved was notably enlarged when power was 
required, so that at the normal speed the rider had to ride 
with a very short reach, or else he would have to overreach 
himself at power ; moreover, the lever action used was not at 
all suitable for cycling, and thus this earliest method of obtain- 
ing speed and power at will fell into disuse. Other plans 
depending upon the principle of the lever, and requiring a 
reciprocating movement of the same nature, were tried, and 
had the same result, and it became evident that two-speed 
gear to be successful must be combined with the widely popular 
rotary action. The earlier types were faulty ; they threw cross 
and irregular strains upon various parts of their internal me- 
chanism ; they were mechanically vicious in construction, and 
only irregularly performed the work they were called upon to 
do, whilst some were in constant action except on the few 
occasions when hills presented themselves, thus setting up a 
continuous friction during the whole time the machine was being 
ridden with the normal speed on. This of course seriously 
diminished any advantages they might under other circumstances 
have possessed. Under some systems the internal friction 
rapidly wore out the gear, and caused it to fail in its functions 
after comparatively httle use. Only two types possess any 
measure of practical value. The first type is that represented 
by the gear known as the crypto-dynamic, invented by Mr. W. 
T. Shaw, and manufactured commercially by the Crypto Cycle 
Company of Chiswell Street, with the various gears brought 
out approximating to it in general plan ; and the other type is 
the two-chain system as successfully adopted by the Sparkbrook 
Company in their two-speed tricycle. 

A practical and scientific cychst writes as follows on this 
subject : — 

We shall therefore limit ourselves to a general description of 
these two typical systems, under which all the others may be 
properly classed. 



3/6 CYCLING. 

The Crypto-dynamic gear depends for its results on the action 
of an epicyclic train of wheels, hidden within a narrow box which 
bears on its outer circumference the pitch-teeth of an ordinary 
chain-pulley. The epicyclic train adopted in the Cr^^pto is made 
up of three components, all working round a common centre ; viz, 
a central pinion, a stud-disc carrying four small planet wheels in 
gear with central pinion, and also with an internally locked wheel 
which forms the third and outermost portion of the train. As is 
well known, the components of an epicyclic train, when set in 
motion, severally vary both as to velocity and direction, according 
as one or other is held fast or caused to act as the driver. Thus 
w^hen the central pinion is fixed and the internally locked wheel 
driven, the stud-disc (or middle component) is by the small planet 
wheels carried round at a slow^er rate than the internal w^heel (or 
driver). In other words, the internal wheel must pass round once, 
and a bit more, in order to procure a single complete revolution of 
the stud-disc ; how much more depends upon the relative sizes of 
the internal wheel and the central pinion ! Suppose this propor- 
tion to be such that the internal wheel has to make i*5 revolution 
to one of the stud-disc (as is actually the case in the most popular 
form of the Crypto), thepow^er is said tobe 1-5, and this is the number 
by which the upper speed must be divided in order to ascertain 
the lower gearing. Suppose now that with these same proportions, 
and w4th the central pinion still fixed, the stud-disc bearing its 
planet wheels is driven round, the converse effect takes place ; i.e. 
for each single revolution of the stud-disc the internal wheel makes 
1-5 revolution. In this case the speeding-up is 1-5, and there is, 
of course, a loss of power corresponding to the gain of speed. 
This is the arrangement adopted by Mr. Britain, and formerly 
known under his name, though now merged in the cr^'pto-dynamic 
gear. The one system gives an access of power ; the other an 
access of speed. Deferring for the present any attempt at a tech- 
nical description of the mechanism employed, we shall endeavour 
briefly to show how the principles of epicyclic gearing, as explained 
above, are made to produce the desired results. 

In the power-gearing, as we said, 1*5 revolution of internal 
wheel (i.w.) produces i revolution of stud-disc (s.) Therefore 
I revolution of i.w. = i_ or ^ revolution of s. Now it is to the in- 
te'-nal wheel that the power is always imparted by the crank-shaft 
either directly, if the Crypto is there fixed, or through the chain if, 
preferably, the Crj'pto is fitted to the main axle ; whilst it is the 



CONS TR UCTION. 3 7 7 

stud-disc that ahvays actuates the driving wheels of the tricycle. 
In the case of single-drivers, the stud-disc drives the wheel either 
directly or through the chain ; in double-drivers, the balance gear 
is interposed between the stud-disc and the driving wheels. 

The central pinion is always in unity with the clutch, and by 
means of the latter can, at will, be fixed immovably as in the cases 
supposed above, or it can be locked to the other components of the 
train, so that all three then revolve together, as one piece, in union 
with the chain-pulley, and the machine is then propelled at the 
higher of the two speeds, exactly as though the pulley on the upper 
axle were of the ordinary construction, and devoid of any internal 
mechanism. Suppose the pulleys to give a speed as of 6o-inch 
wheels, then upon locking the centre pinion to the frame by putting 
the clutch over, the internal mechanism of the crypto begins to 
act, and the stud-disc reduces the speed to | of 6o-inch, i.e. 40-inch. 
In like manner 54-inch becomes 36-inch, and so on. Even the 
non-mechanical am^ongst our readers must see that the labour is 
necessarily lightened, and a sense of ease enjoyed, when the rider 
only performs two-thirds of the work previously demanded from 
him for each revolution of the pedal-shaft. In the most recent deve- 
lopments of the Crypto gear, the stud-disc is made to sei-ve also as 
the driver of the balance gear, a combination which possesses 
many advantages as respects lightness, compactness, and general 
efficiency. The gearing-up principle, involving, as it does, the 
constant action of the epicyclic train except on the occasions when 
extra /^w^r is required, seems to have its chief utility as a sub- 
stitute for pulleys and chains, over which it presents some consider- 
able advantage in point of friction. For the benefit of those of our 
readers who desire to understand the mechanism of the Crypto gear, 
we here transcribe a description of that gear put forward by the 
makers. 

Fig. 42 represents an outside view of the gearing, showing a 
portion of the chain and the lower part of the striking lever for 
changing speed. 

In figs. 43 and 44, the internally-toothed wheel ^, with its sleeve 
b^ is shown removed from its position on the pedal-axle, in order that 
the connexion of this wheel c with the four pinions //, and of these 
with the central wheel e^ may be clearly understood. 

Fig. 45 shows the gearing in section, as applied to the pedal- 
shaft, a is the shaft or axle, keyed to which is the sleeve b form- 
ing the shaft of the internally-toothed wheel c. Revolving on the 



>78 



CYCLING. 




Fig. 42. 





Fig. 43. 



Fig. 44. 



CONSTK UCTION. 




N.B. 
of internal 
spindles 



Fig. 48. 






38o CYCLING. 

sleeve b is another hollow shaft ^, fixed upon which are the central 
wheel e and the flanged collar _/! g is the chain-pulley with a 
hollow axle turning- freely on shaft d. The pulley g on the side 
towards the internal wheel c carries four spindles and pinions h 
(two of which are here shown), gearing with the central wheel e, 
and the internal wheel c. The spindles on the side next the in- 
ternal wheel are supported by a ring (seen in fig. 43) fastened to 
supports projecting from the side of the pulley at spots equidistant 
between the four spindles. Fig. 46 is a front view of the flanged 
collar y^ with its three segmental slots, opposite which, on the face 
of the pulley g^ is a circular row of sunken teeth, shown at fig. 48. 
A similar row of sunken teeth is cut in the face of the fixed disc /, 
which is attached to the frame of the machine m. Riding inside 
the flanged collar f^ and in perpetual engagement w^ith it, is the 
clutch k^ shown in front view at fig. 47, which is a disc with 
three segmental pieces projecting from its periphery corresponding 
in size and shape with the segmental slots shown at fig. 46. The 
segmental projections (shown at fig. 47) are each of them armed 
on both sides with raised teeth shaped so as to fit the sunken 
teeth before referred to. The clutch k is terminated in the centre 
by a grooved ring, which takes a bearing on the sleeve d. By 
means of the lever and fork connected with studs running in ;/ 
the grooved ring, the clutch k may be slid along the sleeve d^ so 
as to engage its teeth either with the sunken teeth on the pulley^, 
or with the sunken teeth on the fixed disc / ; or it may be left in 
the central or free position, as shown in fig. 45. In the last-named 
position the gearing is free to rotate in itself, as in running down 
hill, and no work is done. If the clutch k is pushed along so as to 
engage with the sunken teeth on the chain-pulley ^, the central 
wheel ^, by means of the flanged collar j^ is locked to the pulley, 
and being unable to rotate, the small pinions h and the inter- 
nal wheel c are likewise bound to the pulley, and the whole of 
the gearing rotates as part and parcel of the chain-pulley. This is 
when speed is required. If, however, the clutch k is pushed along 
the other way so as to engage with the sunken teeth in the fixed 
disc / attached to the frame of the machine, the central wheel e is 
held fast and is unable to rotate, but the pulley ^ is left free, where- 
upon the pinions h upon being set in motion by the internal wheel 
^, run round the fixed central wheel <?, and rotate the chain-pulley at 
a reduced speed relatively to that of the pedal-axle a and internal 
wheel c. It is by this means that the extra power is obtained. Its 



CONSTRUCTION. 381 

degree depends upon the relative sizes given to the central, planet 
and internal wheels composing the gearing. 

It will be observed that all the parts have broad bearing- 
surfaces, not liable to cut, and that the sleeves move round each 
other in the same direction when the gearing is in operation, thus 
minimising friction. 

The Crypto gear is a highly-finished and durable piece of 
mechanism ; due provision has been made for adequate strength 
throughout ; and the extra weight of the gearing, over and above 
that of an ordinary pulley, varies from 3|- lbs. to 5 lbs, according 
to the nature of the machine. Its size is 5^ inch es x i\ inches. 

In the two-speed arrangement, fitted by the Sparkbrook Com- 
pany, two pairs of pulleys and two chains are employed, one set 
gearing up for speed, the other gearing down for power. The 
upper pulleys are fixed side by side, centrally on the main axle, 
and the chains are carried down to two pulleys running loose on 
the crank-spindle within the lower bracket. The clutch proper is 
fixed to the spindle, and is capable of engaging with either of the 
two pulleys, according as a little lever, pivotted to the central tube, 
is depressed by the left or right foot. Left in horizontal position, 
the lever withholds the clutch from contact with either pulley, and 
free pedals are the result. When the lever is pushed down by the 
foot (which is removed from the pedal for that purpose), the 
corresponding pulley is locked to the spindle and is capable of 
driving the machine forwards. Its adjacent pulley being free in 
the spindle, is then driven round by the chain, through which it is 
connected w4th the pulley on the upper axle. 

The principal error into which the beginner in the use of a 
gear falls, is to attempt to keep up a high rate of speed when 
using the ' power.' As will have been gathered from the fore- 
going remarks upon gearing up and down, the pedals are the 
special point affected by the change. The machine running 
on at the same pace, when the change is made from a high 
gearing (speed) to a low gearing (power), the pedals will be 
notably accelerated as to the pace of their revolution. Now 
it is quite possible for a cychst to mount one of the machines 
known as home-trainers — which consists mainly of a fly-wheel 
fitted with pedals, which the rider rotates as rapidly as pos- 
sible for the purposes of practice — and without any check upon 



382 CYCLING, 

the fly-wheel, which revolves with very great ease, to utterly 
exhaust himself within three minutes, although when the fly- 
w^heel has once been started very little muscular power is re- 
quired to keep it moving. It is, in short, ' the pace that kills,' 
the extremely rapid motion of the legs, without any call upon 
the muscular powers for an effort, beyond that necessary to keep 
the legs moving, being quite sufficient to cause the exhaustion. 
In using a two-speed gear, the beginner rides at a fair pace 
with speed on until he arrives at a hill. Being naturally anxious 
to see how his new acquisition works, he puts on the power at 
once, and finding the pedals suddenly revolving with ease and 
rapidity, he almost unconsciously attempts to keep up the 
speed thus suddenly developed, with the inevitable result that 
in a very few minutes he is completely exhausted, not by the 
actual muscular effort, but by the rapidity of the action. ' To 
climb steep hills requires slow pace at first,' and this maxim is 
especially applicable to the use of speed and power gears. The 
user will therefore do well to bear in mind this strict injunction, 
* Do not attempt to acquire speed when using the powder gear.' 
When riding along the level with the speed gear in action, the 
rider should count the revolutions of the pedal and try and 
accustom himself to a regular rate of work, say, for example, 55 
strokes per minute. On arriving at a hill the pace should be 
kept up with the speed gear until it is obviously slowed by the 
stiffness of the gradient; the rider, counting steadily and keeping 
the same rate of pedaUing, should then shut in the power gear 
sharply, and, without accelerating the pedal revolutions at all, 
keep steadily at work. The relief will be instantly perceptible, 
but it is at first very difficult without great watchfulness to avoid 
undue rapidity in pedalling ; the work suddenly becomes so 
much lighter, whilst the pedals seem almost to run away from 
the feet, that the novice is betrayed into hurrying ; all the 
more so because at the same time the pace of the tricycle 
slows noticeably, and as most riders involuntarily gauge their 
rate of progression by the road or hedges they are passing, this 



CONSTRUCTION. 383 

is a sore temptation to spurt, which must, however, be resisted. 
By keeping up a regular and unaccelerated beat, the user of a 
gear will find that the ascent is easy, though the pace is rela- 
tively slow. At the same time it is sufficient to overtake all 
ordinary pedestrians, most carriages, and every tricyclist who 
walks his machine up-hill, and this, more especially when the 
tricycle is laden with luggage, is a material advantage, as the 
work of pushing the machine up-hill is both irksome and awk- 
ward. In those districts where long gradients or steep hills are 
frequent, an intelligently used two-speed gear will soon be re- 
garded as a sine qua no?i. If the gear is not intelligently used, if 
the rider indulges in scrambling and frantic attempts to attain 
a racing pace with a 36-in. gearing, he will find the gear worse 
than useless, and had better discard it. It will take the most 
careful and observant rider a couple of months to become 
properly au fait in the management of a gear, so that he shall 
know in a moment when, where and how to use it, and at what 
rate of speed he may safely attempt to progress. In many 
cases so much is expected from the gear that the user's first 
feeling is one of intense disappointment, which is only modified 
into doubt after some weeks of constant use. When the rider 
is in this state of mind, half doubting whether it is advisable to 
drag the extra weight of metal and fixings around with him, let 
him send his geared machine away, and use for a week — he 
won't want it longer — a machine geared to the middle power 
of his two-speeded tricycle ; one day's, nay, one hour's riding 
on a give-and-take road will impress him more with the 
advantages and merits of the speed and power gear than 
any amount of theorising or dissertation. In no case would 
the assertion that we do not recognise a blessing until we have 
lost it be more appropriate, always supposing that the two- 
speed gear adopted is one of those which have been proved 
effectual by practice, and not one of the disintegrating con- 
trivances which are occasionally palmed off upon the unwary 
as ' two-speed gears.' As might be naturally supposed, two- 



384 CYCLING. 

speed gears have proved of marked benefit to the users of 
tandems and sociables. When two persons are riding, it may 
often occur that one of the cycUsts may become exhausted 
and weaker than his companion, especially, for example, when 
ladies ride, and then the other rider has to propel not only the 
machine, but an outside passenger in the person of his com- 
panion. In such cases the two-speed gear becomes a necessity, 
as every slight rise can be easily negotiated with its assistance. 
It is, for example, recorded in the cycHng press that Mr. Hillier 
in the autumn of 1886 took a young cousin of his, weighing 
nearly nine stone, for a ride over some sixty miles of diversified, 
and in some places hilly countr}^, and during the journey the 
young lady did not put her feet to the pedals for more than five 
miles altogether. With one exception all the hills were ridden, 
and as the high power of the gear fitted to the Humber tandem 
was 60 inches, such a trip would have been an absolute impossi- 
bility but for the lower power, which was about 38 inches, and 
this power enabled the rider to carry his passenger up several 
steep hills en route., and all could have been ridden had it been 
worth while to attempt the feat. Thus a two-speed gear on a 
tandem may be regarded as a partial guarantee against the 
failure of the weaker portion of ' the crew.' One of the most 
satisfactory fittings of a speed and power gear is that of the 
Crypto gear to the upper axle of a Humber tandem. As in the 
machine alluded to above, the strains are evenly distributed, 
the gear is comparatively out of the way of dust and grit ; the 
striking rod being relatively short acts rapidly, and with com- 
plete rigidity, and is also very conveniently placed for the use 
of the rider. The upper axle, in fact, is without doubt the 
proper place for the gear to be placed, and in that position it is 
productive of the most satisfactory results. 

In the use of two-speed gears certain points should be ob- 
served to secure the best results. When shifting the gear the 
pressure of the feet should be momentarily eased, and this with 
a very little practice will be found to be done automatically. 



CONSTRUCTION. 385 

The shifting shoald be done sharply, but not too forcibly, as 
very little power is required to alter the clutch block if the 
pedal pressure is relieved as suggested. On the other hand, 
the shifting should not be done too lightly, or the clutch may 
not get home, and as a result will slip before the catch can drop 
into its place. This point can be studied with the machine at 
a standstill with advantage. There should never be any hurry 
in changing a gear, seeing that it can never be a matter of 
seconds, and the satisfactory working of the gear depends to a 
great extent upon its being properly used. 

Lubrication should not be forgotten. The oil should be 
especially freely applied at first, so that all the parts of the 
gear may be fully supplied, and the superfluous oil which will 
ooze out should be carefully wiped off from time to time, so 
that it shall not get on the break-band ] when it does, the 
latter should be taken off, and the surface of the leather cleaned 
with benzole, and roughed with a coarse file. When once one 
of the better class gears has got into running order by a few 
days' use, it will remain right in most cases for a very long time. 
This is especially so with the Crypto, in which special care has 
been taken to buttress all the parts one upon the other, and to 
guard screw heads and such like details, so that a check may 
be put upon any chance tendency to shake loose, and always 
supposing that the running is satisfactory after the first stiffness, 
which is inseparable from a new fitting, has worn off, it is highly 
impolitic to attempt to peer into the mystery box which con- 
tains the gearing. 

The use of two-speed gears will assuredly extend, and many 
makers are now prepared to fit them to machines. Some fev; 
firms yet object to the extra trouble, but the buyer of a tricycle, 
single or double, who desires to ride easily and comfortably, 
should insist upon having one of these fittings adapted to his 
new mount. For racing, the two-speed gear is of no service ; 
one rider did have a very high gear with a lower power in the 
American races in 1885, and the result was, that in shifting it 

c c 



386 CYCLING, 

at high speed it stuck at the free pedal, and he fell forw^ard, 
causing the machine to come into violent collision with another 
competitor, a severe accident being the result. 

The free pedal is of considerable service, and it is well that 
it is so, for it is obviously inseparable from the action of a 
two- speed gear. Its advantages are singularly apparent upon 
Humber pattern tricycles, as by putting the lever at the free 
point, the pedals become practically foot-rests, without inter- 
fering with that foot control over the steering which is of such 
moment in that type of machine. On tandems, too, especially 
when the break power is quite adequate, the free pedal is of 
peculiar advantage, as with a novice or a lady in front there is 
often a difficulty in regaining the pedals, after a run down hill, 
the rapidity of their rotation having to be checked ere it is 
safe for the novice to bring his or her foot within their range. 
Under these conditions the gentleman throws in the free pedal, 
ind holding them horizontally they form a comfortable foot- 
rest on which the other rider's feet are kept. When the bottom 
of the hill is reached the speed gear is thrown in, after a word 
of warning, and no trouble is experienced in picking up the 
work. 

SAFETY BICYCLES. 

The production of the tricycle in its more practical and 
modern shape, which was of course a vast improvement upon 
its antitype, the ' velocipede,' induced a large number of persons, 
who from age, nervousness, or other causes were reluctant to 
trust themselves upon the giddy heights of an ordinary bicycle, 
to take to cycling in its safer form ; and although some of them 
soon learnt that a clever man could have as dangerous a fall 
as he desired out of a tricycle, yet the majority enlarged their 
experiences until nothing but the look of the thing prevented 
their attempting to ride the bicycle itself. Many of these 
recruits were, comparatively speaking, young men with plenty 
of energy, muscle, and activity ; as soon as they became suffi- 



CONSTRUCTION. 387 

ciently initiated into the mysteries of the sport, they began to 
recognise certain dra\Ybacks which are inseparable from the 
use of the tricycle as compared with its more dangerous but 
less clumsy congener. The machine was heavy in contrast 
with the bicycle, and its bulk made it difficult to stable. In 
the meanwhile a number of ingenious ideas were being formu- 
lated in the direction of dwarf bicycles. The first in point of 
time was the 'Pony Bicycle,' constructed by the Coventry 
Machinist Company. This was a dwarf machine with a long 
swinging link on the end of the ordinary crank, at the bottom 
of which was placed the pedal, so that the rider had a straight 
leg with his foot very near the ground. This, however, was 
not very favourably received. The power of the rider was 
enormous, but the necessary rapidity of the pedalling was ex- 
hausting ; the principle of gearing up had not been tested, and, 
if it had been, would have been inapplicable to the method of 
driving adopted ; so the ' Pony,' after a brief run, fell into 
desuetude. 

The first practical, and perhaps the most markedly suc- 
cessful. Safety was the invention of Mr. John Beal — 'The 
Facile,' This little machine, which will be described further 
on, was brought out by Ellis & Co., of Farringdon Street. 
Being a lever machine, the action was shortened and made 
easier than the crank action of the ' Pony ; ' and although 
gearing up was as yet unapplied to it, still the very easy action 
enabled many riders to attain great pace upon it. 

The successful use of the chain in tricycles opened the eyes 
of inventors to the possibilities which chain-driving possessed 
for Safety machines, and it occurred to one ingenious me- 
chanician that a chain-driven bicycle geared up, with a small 
wheel, placing the rider very close to the ground, would not 
only rival the bicycle's rate of progression for ordinary road 
v.'ork, but also insure a certain amount of safety if the machine 
were constructed on proper lines. The small size of the front 
wheel was at the same time noted by every practical man 



3S8 CYCLING. 

as a disadvantage which would have to be encountered and 
provided for, the small radial leverage being liable to increase 
the relative effect of common road obstructions \ and in the 
first Safety bicycle of this type placed upon the market this 
point was most fully recognised. Small wheels, as can be 
easily proved by practical experience, as well as by more 
scientific methods, jar terribly over bad roads, and the problem 
arose how these various disadvantages, inherent in wheels of 
small diameter and dependent on the same conditions, were 
to be overcome. In the course of numerous experiments it 
became evident that the rider could not with safety sit right 
over the front wheel, for not only would he find that there 
existed a strong tendency on the part of the hind wheel to 
tilt up, but the jar and vibration from the front wheel would be 
very great. It was therefore necessary to put the rider some 
way back, behind the front wheel centre, and also to carry the 
pedals back. A good deal of the rider's weight thus fell upon 
the rear wheel, and to make this also of small size simply 
transferred the source of the vibration from the front to the 
back wheel. It was found, therefore, that when the front 
wheel was diminished in size, the rear wheel had to be 
enlarged. 

Fig. 49 may be taken to represent a Safety bicycle fitted 
with two equal sized wheels, the rider being seated at c between 




Road line 
Fig. 49. 

them. This vehicle in progressing, as in fig. 50, meets with 
an obstacle d. The wheel a rises over the obstacle, but the 
seat c does not rise nearly so high, and the rider's weight is 



CONSTR UCTION. 389 

thrown back towards b. a having surmounted the obstacle, 
the wheels resume momentarily the position of fig. 49, and 




then B in its turn surmounts the obstacle (fig. 51). The radial 
leverage is of considerable importance, it being clear that a 



Moad line U 

Fig. 51. 

wheel three feet in diameter will surmount a six-inch obstacle 
with greater ease than an eighteen-inch wheel. 

As pointed out above, the first satisfactory Safety was ' The 
Facile,' which was well named, the action being essentially 
easy ; and it still retains its popularity as a sound and service- 
able little roadster. This machine was followed in course 
of time by the Kangaroo type of Safety — a dwarf bicycle 
driven by chains on either side of the front wheel. These 
Safeties became very popular, but were in their turn superseded 
by the rear-driven Safety bicycle, of which type ' The Rover ' 
was the pioneer. 

An exhaustive account of the newest developments in single 
and tandem machines will be found in the second part of this 
chapter. 



390 CYCLING. 



PART IL— MODERN CYCLES. 

ORDINARY BICYCLES. 

The Ordinary bicycle, as the full-sized machine of the first 
type is called, seems to be entering upon a new lease of popular 
favour — a development in the main due to the experience 
gained by the riders of rear-driven Safeties. The rider of the 
Ordinary bicycle in pre- Safety days considered it necessary to 
have his saddle very close to the head, so as to put him well 
over his work and to bring his handles close to him, these con- 
ditions being then considered essential to satisfactory riding. 
Naturally there were many falls, and the cyclist sought safety 
in a dwarf machine. He soon found, however, that in this 
type his handles were some way in front of him without 
interfering with his power j the same thing was true of his 
pedals. When fairly convinced of this, the rider reverted to 
the ' Ordinary ' with the saddle placed relatively a long way 
back, and then found himself possessed of a large amount of 
added safet}^, whilst at the same time enjoying all the real 
pleasure which 'Ordinary' riding affords. But he also dis- 
covered that the vibration from a small and insufficiently tyred 
hind wheel was an immense drawback, and to meet that trouble 
a larger wheel was introduced. Of course the size was over- 
done at first ; but a fairly large hind wheel, stoutly made, with a 
good-sized rubber, makes the new type of ' Ordinary ' a singularly 
comfortable machine. 

The general term applied to this new type is the * Rational 
Ordinary ' — one made by the Surrey ^lachinist Company ; and 
the ' Farringdon,' manufactured by Messrs. Ellis & Co., may 
be quoted as typical of the style referred to. Fitted with ball 
heads, upright centres, and plenty of break power, the ' Radonal 
Ordinary' will hold its own with any type of cycle, as is 
evidenced by the excellent performance of Godfrey White in 



CONSTRUCTIOX. 391 

the North Road Club's loo mile race, he having covered that 
distance in 6 hrs. 48 min. 14 sec. on an Ordinary bicycle. 

The Roadster and Racer bicycles of the Ordinary type may 
now be regarded as almost perfect. In Roadsters sound and 
adequate break fixings are a necessity. The Racer has been 
brought to a high pitch of perfection. One or two rear- 
driven full-sized bicycles are occasionally seen on our highways. 
One is the 'American Star,' a machine constructed in America 
and very popular in that country, as owing to its peculiar form 
it can be ridden with impunity over very large obstacles and 
rough ground. Mr. Stanley Heard, of Swansea, during visits 
to America, has ridden many miles on a ' Star ' between the 
railway lines, bumping over the ' ties ' or sleepers. As will be 
gathered from the illustration facing page 20, the machine is 
steered by means of the small wheel in front ; it is driven by 
levers with a strap and pawl, the action on either side being 
independent. As might be supposed, it is heavy, and the 
steering is at first very unsteady. It possesses, however, un- 
questionable merits. Another bicycle steered in somewhat 
the same manner, but driven by a lever action, is constructed 
by the Claviger Cycle Company, and if perfected would 
doubtless possess all the merits of its American prototype. 

Another type of full-sized bicycle will be found illustrated 
on page 168. The ' 'Xtraordinary ' has long been popular with 
elderly riders who desire a certain measure of safety, and the 
same lines have been followed by the Claviger Company in 
their lever-driven ' Ordinary.' As was pointed out above, for 
road work and touring an ordinary bicycle on ' Rational ' lines, 
with plenty of break power, can hardly be improved upon. 

TRICYCLES AND TANDEMS. 

In broad-guage machines a tremendous revolution has been 
effected since the first edition of this work was published. 
The types then popular have been superseded by others, and 
the machines generally are much better fitted and finished. 



30^ CYCLING. 



THE H UMBER TYPE TRICYCLES.' 

The single form of Humber tricycle shown in fig. 52 is 
rapidly losing its popularity. When in 1880 an effort was made 
to improve the existing types of the broad-guage machine, Mr. 
Thomas Humber turned his attention to a clumsy experimental 
machine, with 60-in. driving wheels and a narrow handle- 
bar, which had been in the Beeston works for some time 
prior to 1879, and he soon effected such improvements that 
the remodelled machine w^as adopted by many prominent 
cyclists. The tricycle road championship and race of 1880 
was won on a machine which was only colourably a tricycle. 
It was an ordinary bicycle, with two hind wheels a Httle dis- 
tance apart. This, of course, gave the rider of the ' Rara Avis,' 
as the machine was called, a very great advantage ; but the 
Humber tricycle, ridden by Mr. Hillier, though it failed to 
overhaul the winner, who had this somewhat unfair advantage, 
beat all the other tricyles in the race under somewhat unfavour- 
able conditions. From this time its success was assured. 

Fig. 52 is a back view of a Humber tricycle. The axle 
M M is a double tube carrying on the right side the gear-box b. 
This axle runs in two ball-bearings which are placed in stout 
cases at aa.^ The upper chain-wheel and break-band are 
shown at K, being placed between the bearings, which are held 
in a short fork, which is brazed to the frame at p. c is the 
pivot on which the long connecting lever of the break, 
actuated by the break lever on the handle-bar (which is not 
visible), turns ; N is the Stanley head, on the top of which is 
placed the lamp h, on a bracket which is fixed under the head 
lock-nut at w. d d are the handles, q is the backbone, o the 
screw used for adjusting the bottom bracket, which is subse- 
quently fixed by the locking screw f. g is a mud-guard ; whilst, 
by removing the nut R, the wheel can be slipped off, and the 

' The illustration shows the President of the N.C.U., Lord Bury, mounted 
on a Humber Roadster. It is taken from a photograph by Hon. A. Keppel. 
'^ Four bearings are now fitted on a long bar. 




VISCODNT BURY E.C.M.G. 
From a Photoyraph by the Hon. A. Keppel 



COXSTRUCTION, 



393 



internal wheels of the gear-box oiled, s is an oil-hole through 
which the right-hand wheel, which revolves on the axle end, can 
be lubricated. The left-hand wheel is fixed by a slot and key 
on the internal axle end, and of course requires no oiling ; at 
M on the left, and v on the right, are to be found small oil-holes 




Fig. 52. — BACK VIEW of a humber tricycle. 



through which the double axles are oiled ; whilst at s, t, and w 
will also be found orifices for the lubricant, which at first should 
be freely supplied. 

As will be gathered from the illustration, the Humber is 
steered like a bicycle, and although at first the steering is some- 



394 CYCLING. 

what awkward for a novice, this trouble is soon overcome by a 
Httle practice, more especially if the rider will try and steady 
the running of the machine with his feet ; it is an excellent 
practice for a beginner to sit upon his tricycle on some flat 
floor or road (without any awkwardly inclined sides) and to 
try to cut circles and figures of eight without using his hands. 
The learner will soon discern that he has a remarkable power 
over the steering, and a little careful practice will soon enable 
him to make his feet sensibly relieve the hands and arms in 
actual riding. At first, there is a strong tendency to grasp the 
handles with most tiring energy and to set the shoulders against 
the irregular running of the machine; but this will soon be 
overcome, and the rider will find the Humber most easy to 
steer, whilst that very sensitiveness which at first causes trouble 
is soon recognised as one of the best points in the machine. 
The position of the rider is a most favourable one for the exer- 
cise of his full power, and this type of machine is therefore 
singularly good for hill work and hard work generally. The 
Humber is essentially the bicyclist's tricycle, and it has a marked 
effect in improving a bicycKst's steering, the extra care and 
strength required to steady and control the tricycle soon 
developing powers which are more than sufficient to control a 
bicycle ; and the result is that a bicyclist whose erratic steering 
on the racing path has caused him to be an absolute danger 
to his fellow-competitors, will often after a winter's riding on a 
double-steerer be found to be steering as safely as the oldest 
and straightest of racing men. The parts which require carefi/j 
attention in this type of machine are : i, the head, n, which 
will require frequent and careful adjustment until it is set as 
described earlier in these pages ; 2, the hind wheel, which will 
similarly require adjusting until it has got into good running 
order; 3, the bearings, a a, which will require attention at first; 
4, the set screw, f, as if it comes loose the bracket and bottom 
pulley wheel shift, and, getting out of truth with regard to the 
upper pulley wheel, are likely to cause accidents. The pedals, 
saddle, and lamp fixings at h should of course be all carefully 



CONSTRUCTION, 



395 



looked over, whilst the nut, as at r, should be screwed home ; 
the small nuts (holding the pinion wheels inside the balance 
gear) visible on the outside of b should also be kept tight, but 
not too tight, as if suddenly screwed up with a long spanner they 
often cause the inner pinion wheels to go very stiffly and make 
the work hard. The points which require frequent oiling are : 
the head through a hole in the set screw at the top, the bear- 
ings through holes in the cases a a, the axle tubes through 




Fig. 53.— the humber tandem. 



small uncovered holes at either end of m i\r, the lower bearings 
through protected holes in the bearing cases of the lower bracket, 
the hind wheel through the lubricator at T, and the pedals ; 
whilst the other parts which require only occasional cleaning and 
fresh lubrication are the working parts of the break, the working 
parts of the spring, and the inner wheels of the balance gear, 
the right-hand wheel having to be removed for the purpose. 
All these remarks apply to the still popular Humber 



39^ CYCLIXG 

tandem, which is shown in fig. 53. The front saddle, handles, 
dropping bar, chain, and pedal cranks are all made removable, 
being held in place by a nut and two stays. The machine is 
steered by the rear rider, after the manner of an ordinary single 
Humber tricycle, which it in fact becomes when the front 
rider's seat and fittings are removed. As will be seen from the 
illustration, the riders are really seated on each side of the 
axle, and the heaviest must be placed behind or the machine 
will be liable to tip up, to meet which tendency the little safety 
wheel showTi in front of the machine is fitted. The balance 
gear box is just hidden in the illustration by the left leg of the 
front rider. Both riders drive it directly, and as a result the 
machine runs very straight and the weight is for the most part 
carried on the driving, or, as it is much more reasonable to 
call them, the carrying ^vheels, whilst the bite of the hind wheel 
upon the ground is rather more than just sufficient to enable 
the steersman to control the machine. The result in actual 
practice is that the machine runs marvellously fast, whilst the 
steering is particularly accurate and steady in the hands of a 
practised rider. 

In purchasing a Humber tandem, the owner should con- 
sider who is likely to occupy the front seat, as a light rider 
cannot satisfactorily fill the rear one if a heavy man is in front ; 
but the disadvantages of light weight can be to a certain ex- 
tent nulHfied by moving the saddle well back, which is usually 
very necessary with this type of tandem, for road work at least. 

The rear seat should generally be arranged to suit the 
owner, as it is not adjustable, whilst the front seat is, and can 
be altered to suit each passenger. The handles should be low, 
so as to give a comfortable pull, without, however, overstretch- 
ing the arms, as pointed out in earlier chapters, and should be 
brought rather back, so as to come more comfortably under 
control. The double-action Arab spring is especially advisable 
at the back. The rear rider will find that the presence of a 
person in front absolutely improves the steering, putting more 
weight on the carrying wheels, and taking some off the trailing 



COXSTKUCTIOy. 3v7 

wheel. The head (a ball head is an immense improvement) 
should be kept carefully adjusted, as a very slight looseness 
will soon wear beyond repair, owing to the immense strain 
which there is on that point, and care should also be taken to 
keep the hind wheel adjusted, as the accuracy of the steering 
depends to a great extent upon it. The machine will bear 
gearing up to 54 inches or over for ordinary riders. Comfort- 
able foot rests are provided for the front rider, who should, 
however, be instructed to see that they are conveniently placed, 
as if not, they will cause him to reach forward, and thus 
disturb the balance, upon which everything depends. In 
descending very steep hills the front rider should sit well back, 
A two-speed gear is an excellent addition to this class of 
machine. 

Taking a hint from the ' Rational ' bicycle, quite a number 
of makers are now^ turning out this type of tandem fitted with a 
larger hind wheel than in previous patterns, and there is no 
doubt that the type in its tandem form will long remain popu- 
lar with tourists and road riders generally. In its single form 
the Humber type, or ' double steerer,' has been almost entirely 
superseded by 

THE CRIPPER TYPE TRICYCLE. 

The name of this type is derived from the fact that the 
first machine of the pattern was ridden in open races by Mr. 
Cripps. It was designed and made at Beeston by Mr. Thos. 
Humber, and the first to appear in London was one sent to 
Mr. Lacy Hillier to be tested by him. Fig. 54 is taken from 
a photo by Mr. H. St. J. Bashall of the Temple B.C., and 
shows the original form of the machine. 

The steering is of the direct pattern, by means of a handle 
communicating directly with the front steering wheel, and the 
most convenient method of mounting and dismounting is by 
stepping on the axle from behind, most makers fitting for that 
purpose some sort of guard upon the left-hand side of the axle. 
In its details the original direct-steering tricycle pretty closely 



398 CYCLING, 

resembled the ordinary centrally-driven machine of its time, 
but it was not long before alterations and improvements were 
made. The earlier machines were all Automatic ; that is to 
say, they were fitted with a cam and spring which brought the 
steering wheel back into position when the handles were re- 
leased. After a time free steering was tried and pronounced 
successful, and automatic controllers are decidedly in the 
minority nowadays. Presently another alteration began to be 




Fig. 54. — MR. HUMBER'S 'CRIPPER' TRICYCLE. 

noticeable. The wheel base grew longer and the front wheel 
began to increase in size, whilst simultaneously the rider was 
moved rather more forward, and the large-sized steering wheel 
became in part a carrying wheel as well. To merely give a list 
of the direct-steering or ' Cripper ' type tricycles now offered 
to the public would fill a volume. Every maker constructs 
one or more machines of this pattern. The steering wheels 
are now made as large as, or even larger, than the driving 
wheels, which have been reduced in size sometimes to an un- 
due extent. All the successes of the past season upon the 



CONSTRUCTION. 399 

racing path have been secured upon machines of this type, 
the original firm— now Humber & Co., Limited — securing the 
five and twenty-five miles championships, which fell to Y. J. 
Osmond and F. P. Wood, both races curiously enough being 
vron on the same machine, whilst S. F. Edge upon a Ripley 
tricycle by Messrs. Marriott & Cooper secured the one mile 
championship. 

The tandem of the Cripper or direct-steering type is, as 
might be expected, a very popular machine. The general lines 
are easily described : the front rider is placed rather further 
away from the axle, whilst his weight is balanced by the rear 
rider, who is placed behind the axle. The steering wheel is of 
large size, often as big as the carrying wheels, and as a matter 
of course the frame is strengthened and stayed so as to avoid 
any unsteadiness. 

The methods by which the steering is effected are very vari- 
ous, there being a desire to place a lady rider in front, and at 
the same time to keep the control of the machine in the hands 
of the rear rider. 

Messrs. Singer & Co., Coventry, and the Surrey Machinist 
Company both attain this desideratum in a very effective 
manner. 

In other machines the steering is double, being linked from 
handle to handle or below the frame. 

Amongst these machines, the Coventry Machinist Com- 
pany's Club tandem ranks as one. of the most successful. 

Nearly every maker of note, however, constructs a direct- 
steering or Cripper type tandem. The type is deservedly 
popular, as it is steady and safe, especially down hill. The 
break power should be fully adequate, the wheel base well 
extended, and the riders not placed too near together. The 
front frame and steering wheel should be stout, as the strain 
thereon at high speeds and down hill is, of course, tremen- 
dous. 

The weight of the riders should be carefully adjusted so 
as not to throw too much or too little weight upon the front 



400 CYCLING. 

wheel. The Cripper type tandem will undoubtedly hold its 
own for a long while, and it is difficult to see in what direc- 
tion it can be surpassed for safety and comfort. The daily 
improvements in detail, however, make it quite impossible to 
give any lengthy description which would not soon be ob- 
solete. 

THE OLYMPIA TYPE. 

This type of machine was introduced to the public in 
a practical form by Messrs. Marriott & Cooper. There had 
been tricycles of something the same pattern in the market 
before, but it was left to this firm to perfect the machine and 
put it prominently before the public. 

The Olympia has a single driving wheel in the rear, without 
any of the complications of gear-boxes, and the rider is placed 
well back. The steering is effected by two smaller wheels 
placed upon a transverse axle. The machine in its single form 
has found much favour with the public. The tandem Olympia 
is also a success, some very remarkable performances having 
been accomplished on the road upon it. The steering is dif- 
ferential (i.e. the inner steering wheel strikes a smaller circle 
than the outer one on a curve), the weight is well placed, and 
the machine is very fast. 

On the same lines, and claiming precedence in some material 
points, is the Corona tandem, made by the Crypto Cycle Com- 
pany — an excellent machine in every way. 

Imitation, says the proverb, is the sincerest flattery, and 
quite a number of Olympia type tricycles have been put on the 
market since the above-named firms popularised the machine. 



THE QUADRANT TRICYCLE. 

• The advantages appertaining to wheels of large diameter 
have long been recognised by all practical riders, more espe- 
cially by those who in the early days of tricycling were called 
upon to ride the front-steering tricycles, with very small steer- 



CONSTRUCTION. 4or 

ing wheels and very short wheel bases, which were at first 
adopted. 

The jarring and jolting produced by these little wheels 
soon convinced the most unobservant riders of the advantages 
which larger steering wheels would possess ; whilst others, again, 
recognised the value of a lengthened wheel base in easing the 
strain and jar of the road. The difficulty, however, was to 
mount satisfactorily so large a wheel as was required in a prac- 
tical manner for steering purposes, and a good many methods 
were tried, which, however, did not prove satisfactory. At length 
the Quadrant Tricycle Company brought out the tricycle known 
by that name. The machine is central-geared, and very well 
constructed. Its especial features are to be found in the 
mounting of the large steering wheel. The front portion of 
the frame splits into a long fork, or U-shaped frame, carrying 
at its end two quadrant-shaped guides, in which the bearings 
carrying the steering wheel slide, the wheel being moved by 
the handles by means of connecting rods. As a result, the 
rider is put a trifle further forward, and the steering wheel 
becomes also in part a carrying wheel. By curving the quad- 
rant-shaped slides fore and aft the steering wheel is thrown 
over slightly when turning ; the chances of a loose tire are thus 
considerably reduced. The effect of this arrangement is in 
every way satisfactory. Vibration is reduced to a minimum, 
the steering is accurate, and the machine is extremely safe. 
Several different patterns are made, but the points of divergence 
are mostly in connection with the steering arrangements, some 
of the machines having the ordinary side steering, whilst others 
have bicycle-handle steering. The Quadrant tandem is a very 
sound type of front-steerer. Whilst this very simple and steady 
form of steering has also been practically applied to Safety 
bicycles of the Rover type, and as many of the eccentricities 
of that type of Safety arose from the unsteadiness of the heavy 
front wheel, it is more than probable that the Quadrant Safety 
will be as successful as is the Quadrant tricycle, and that is 
saying a good deal. The break and all incidental fittings are 

D D 



402 ■ CYCLING. 

excellent, and if imitation be truly the sincerest flattery, the 
Quadrant Tricycle Company should indeed feel flattered, see- 
ing how many firms are striving to satisfactorily mount a large 
steering wheel without infringing their patents. 



THE COVENTRY ROTARY. 

This is one of the oldest tricycles in the market. The 
machine was invented by James Starley, and manufactured by 
]\Iessrs. Haynes & Jeffries under the title of the 'Coventry 
Tricycle.' As first made it was a lever tricycle, the driving 
wheel being rigidly fixed to a double-cranked axle, which was 
rotated by connecting rods. The adaptation of the rotary 
action with a chain worked a vast improvement in the machine, 
and in this form it passed into the hands of Messrs. Rudge 
& Co., and has become so far identified with them that it is 
ofiicially styled the Rudge Rotary Tricycle. The Rotary differs 
very materially in design from almost every other tricycle in the 
market. On one side is placed the large driving wheel, which 
is rigidly fixed on a short axle which carries on its inner end 
the chain wheel ; on the opposite side there is a long bar 
which carries on either end a small backbone head, and two 
Stanley-headed pairs of forks are fitted, carrying the steering 
wheels, which, of course, turn in opposite directions when the 
steering-handle is moved. It is clear, then, that if the machine 
were made very wide the single driving would cause a vast 
amount of ' screw ' and consequent loss of power ; but the 
Rotary is but 30 inches wide, and the side bar being of a good 
length, the small steering wheels, which are also carrying 
wheels, get a good grip of the ground and overcome to a very 
great extent the tendency to lateral motion. Once in a way, 
on very greasy stone sets, for example, the grip of the small 
wheels is found insufficient to overcome the lateral push of 
the driver, but for all practical purposes the grip is quite suf- 
ficient. The machine, which is a single-driver without many 
of a single-driver's drawbacks, can be built very light, and stay- 



CONSTRUCTION. 403 

rods judiciously disposed secure the necessary rigidity of the 
frame. The stay-rod from the rear end of the lateral bar to the 
driving-wheel end of the cross-bar forms a convenient luggage 
carrier if something more elaborate is not fitted, and the lateral 
bar is found most useful for many purposes. The photographer 
straps to it the legs of his camera, the ' sticks,' to use a pro- 
fessional term ; a gun, an easel, a landing-net, or an umbrella 
will ride most comfortably when strapped along it, and, in 
brief, the Rotary tricycle may be said to be singulary well 
calculated to suit a vast number of riders who require stowage 
for a considerable quantity of luggage. The most important 
claim of the Rotary has, however, yet to be recorded. A large 
number of riders are much inconvenienced in the matter of 
stabling, and are compelled, if they ride ordinary tricycles, to 
pay heavily for standing room in some neighbouring coach- 
house. Riders thus circumstanced often give up cycling in 
disgust, but the Coventry Rotary is in many cases a satisfactory 
alternative ; it can be wheeled through narrow doorways and 
passages with ease, and even if no outlet at the back of a 
house exists, it can stand in a room or a passage without 
occupying more lateral space than a perambulator. At first, 
especially after using other tricycles, the narrow w^heel base 
seems dangerous and unstable, but after a few miles this feeling 
wTars off. The sensitive steering is also an element of safety, 
and the marvellous performances which have been accomplished 
on the path and road on the Rotary are a standing testimony 
to its practical value. It must, however, be noted that heavy 
or largely-built riders feel cramped in the narrow space afforded 
by the machine. To riders unfortunate enough to lack the 
accommodation necessary for an ordinary tricycle the Rotary 
can be confidently recommended as in every way a reliable 
substitute. 

SOCIABLE TRICYCLES. 

The sociable trycycle, as the double one was most appro- 
priately termed, took a great hold upon the public as soon as 

D D 2 



:404 CYCLING. 

it was introduced : the ' Salvo ' and ' Premier ' sociables were 
amongst the first, and became immensely popular. Ladies 
as well as gentlemen patronised them ; the two riders, seated 
side by side, could enjoy friendly converse as they progressed ; 
and even now, when the tandem tricycle has completely over- 
shadowed its predecessor, there is little doubt that for quiet 
and comfortable touring the sociable possesses many valuable 
points. As typical of its class we choose the sociable con- 
structed by the Coventry Machinist Company, known as the 
' Club Sociable,' which is adapted for a lady and a gentleman. 
The riders are placed side by side, the steering wheel is in 
front, and the break power is fully adequate ; the machine is 
driven by one chain with a balance gear, and the pedals, on the 
side where the lady sits, are fitted with a Cheylesmore clutch 
-action, so that they will remain still when the machine is run- 
,ning down hill, or when the roads are so good that the gentle- 
man can relieve his passenger of unnecessary exertion. This 
free pedal contrivance is of the very greatest value, as the 
sociable is very safe down hill, and as a result the pace is often 
rather rapid, and it would be difficult or impossible for a 
beginner to pedal quickly enough, or to catch her pedals after 
a spin down hill under these conditions. Her companion 
simply instructs her to hold her feet still, and an easy and 
comfortable pose is the result, whilst the other rider can keep 
his feet at work or at rest as he chooses. When the lady is 
■required to again assist in the propulsion of the machine, 
she simply revolves the pedals as fast as she conveniently can, 
and as soon as the clutch catches, she begins to perform her 
part of the work. That most dangerous accident, a blow behind 
the heel on the tendo Achilles, is also provided against. Many 
novices are lamed for a long while by incautiously bringing 
their heels within range of the flying pedals down hill, and this 
danger is provided against by the Cheylesmore clutch being 
fitted to the Club Sociable pedals on the lady's side. 



CONSTRUCTIO.Y, 4C3 

SAFETY BICYCLES. 

The pioneer type of Safety, the sturdy httle Facile — now 
fitted with a most ingenious apphcation of the Sun and Planet 
gear, which makes it possible to gear it up — is as much to the 
front as it was when the first issue of this volume was made, 
as on Saturday, November lo, 1888, Mr. Percy A. Nix, of the 
Brixton Ramblers, covered a distance of nearly 300 miles within 
24 consecutive hours on one of these machines, and thus 
secured the coveted ' record.' 

In the earliest machines of this make the trailing wheel 
was carried some distance away from the driving wheel, and 
the rider sat well back so as to put him just behind his work, 
the levers coming considerably behind the centre of the front 
wheel. Experience soon discovered many points which would 
admit of alteration, lightening, or strengthening. The wear in 
some parts, particularly at the point where the connecting-rod 
is affixed to the crank, was very severe. This has been 
obviated by the adoption of a very neat and effective bail- 
bearing. The pedal is an immovable bar of rubber, round 
which the foot rocks. Taken up with energy, the machine 
became very popular, and is in very general use ; the front 
forks have a good rake backwards, which is conducive to 
safety, the hind wheel is not too small, nor is it tucked too 
closely under the driving-wheel, and the ricer, unless he has a 
specially made machine, is placed very much between the two 
wheels, with his pedals exactly under him, thus being in the 
best position for the exertion of his strength. As the pedals 
carry to a great extent the weight of the rider, and are always 
well behind the centre of the driving wheel, and thus within 
the wheel base, the machine is obviously safer in that respect 
than any vehicle in which the foot may momentarily (neces- 
sarily at the moment of fullest work) pass out of the wheel 
base. The handles are conveniently placed low, thus giving 
the best position as regards the arms and shoulders for hill 
climbing and hard work generally, in which the little machine 



4o6 CYCLING. 

excels, the extra leverage and the nearly straight arm pull 
being especially valuable. The driving action of the Facile is 
quite different from the rotary action of ordinary cycles, the 
foot describing a segment of a circle backwards. If the weight 
be kept fully on the descending pedal when it has reached its 
lowest point, the retarding effect must be tremendous, and in 
practical use this is found to be so ; the back-pedalling powers 
of a ' Facile ' rider are always very noticeable. 

To become a sound and good rider of the Facile entails a 
little care, without which no learner can succeed. He must 
first ascertain the exact stretch of his leg, and so adjust the 
pedal lever that he can throw out his leg without having to 
' hold back ' at the bottom of the stroke. When pedalling on 
good roads, and under favourable conditions, many good Facile 
riders let the pedal go momentarily at the bottom of the stroke, 
whilst others depend entirely upon a trick of the ankle to take 
the pressure off at the right moment, by dropping the heel very 
quickly at the lowest point. To thoroughly appreciate the 
Facile it is necessary to drop all rotary action riding for some 
time, and to ride only the little machine under notice ; the 
novice may put the levers at a short reach, and ride thus for 
some time, studying the effect of over-pressure, and cultivating 
a quick little upward jerk of the toe to take off the power at 
the end of the stroke ; the idea being to get as much push- 
ing done as possible during the stroke, without retarding the 
machine by maintaining the pressure at the end of it. 

Having satisfactorily mastered the action, the levers should 
be adjusted to gradually lengthen the stroke, until the leg is 
fairly extended at the lowest point. The heels should be kept 
well out, so that the joints act in a straight line ; the position 
should be easy, and the rider should keep on altering the 
adjustment until he really sits upon the saddle, except when 
exerting the full force necessary for hard up-hill riding. The 
work of driving the machine, as compared with that necessary 
to propel an ordinary bicycle, is very light, as the leverage is 
great, and the wheel small. If pace is required, rapid actioa 



CONSTRUCTION. 407 

must be carefully practised. To secure this, the rider must 
make a marked difference between hard and light work, and 
should therefore try to cultivate the easy, light, rapid action, 
which, with but few exceptions, will carry him well through the 
longest day's journey. Of course hill practice should be taken, 
but nine out of ten men during the first season of their Facile 
riding are inclined to make too much of a job of it, the actual 
muscular force required being but slight, skill and easy rapidity 
of action being everything. The very simple motion of the legs 
through so limited a space and in one particular direction 
makes the Facile an especially favourable machine for heavy and 
elderly riders, whose stiffness of limb will not be productive 
of such fatiguing results on this favourite little Safety, whilst 
another very opposite class of riders, the young and weak, find 
the long leverage an adequate compensation for the extra rate 
of pedalling necessary to attain a reasonable degree of speed. 
This type of machine may be especially recommended to 
youths ; it is very safe, vibration is carefully met and checked, 
and— a very important point — the reach is adjustable. The 
youthful cyclist will be able, as he grows, to alter the levers to 
meet his steadily lengthening stretch of limb, a valuable point 
in cases where the purse is not an over-deep one. The geared 
Facile is an excellent specimen of this class, and stands almost 
alone as one of the best examples of lever-driven Safety bicycles. 

Chain-driven geared-up Safety bicycles may be divided into 
two classes. First, ordinary bicycle type Safeties — that is, with a 
geared-up big steering and driving wheel in front, and a re- 
latively small hind wheel ; and, secondly. Safety bicycles of the 
Rover type, with in most cases a geared-up driving wheel behind 
and a wheel in front used only for steering. 

The first notable success in the first class was the ' Kangaroo,' 
invented by Mr. W. Hillman, and brought out by his firm, 
Messrs. Hillman, Herbert & Cooper, of Coventry. It attracted 
a good deal of attention at the Stanley Show at the Floral 
Hall, in 1883. The firm set to work with great energy to 
popularise the ' Kangaroo,' and this they succeeded in doing 



^o3 



CYCLING. 



by means of road races ; the performances then accomplished 
rapidly convincing the cycling public that these diminutive 
little machines were well worthy of notice. All the material 
points of a sound Safety bicycle are fully provided in this, the 
first, and proba-bly the best, of its class. The hollow forks are 




THE ' KANGAROO.* 



quite upright, but the bearings are carried forward on short 
arms, thus effecting all the purposes of a heavy rake on the 
forks without the consequent strain on the head. The forks 
themselves are prolonged, the ends being carried straight down 
and carrying the cranks and pulley wheels, one set on each 
side ; the crank centres, which are fixed directly on the fork 
ends, are thus well behind the wheel centre, and of course in- 



CONSTRUCTION. 409 

side the wheel base. The head, a strong one, is also ^Yell 
behind the driving wheel centre, and the saddle being put back 
some distance from the head, the rider is in a good position as 
regards his pedals. The hind wheel was from the first made 
of large diameter, and w^as carried well out behind. In short, 
the machine has been calculated throughout for the use of the 
class who generally adopt Safety machines, i.e. the heavy, steady 
or nervous road riders. 

Major Johnston, whose authority on the subject of Dwarf 
and Safety bicycles all cyclists will respect, has kindly penned 
the following notes upon this subject. 

Before dealing with the class of ' Safeties^ as they are termed, 
it may be as well to explain that if the word safety is under- 
stood to mean an immunity from ' headers ' (i.e. falls over the 
handle-bar), then most of them are misnamed, seeing that their 
only claim to safety lies in their small wheels, which reduce 
the height the rider has to fall in the event of a cropper, 
' headers ' being quite as readily describable from these as from 
the ordinary bicycle, though necessarily on a smaller scale. It 
would be more correct to term them ^ Divarfs.^ Anyone can 
prove this for himself, not necessarily by taking a ' header,' but 
by pushing one of them on the road, with the hand on the 
saddle, against a brick or large stone ; the result will be that 
the front wheel will be stopped, and the backbone and hind 
wheel be jerked up. A loose tire on the front wheel or the 
sudden full application of the break produces the same result. 
As, however, small bicycles are usually called Safeties^ the 
word safety will be adhered to in these pages. 

Some have seen fit to introduce modifications and altera- 
tions which have not in all cases proved successes ; thus in 
some modern Safeties the rider sits close up to the head, which 
is placed almost directly over the front wheel centre, and thus 
with a little hind wheel everything tends to throw him over the 
front. In a great many of the imitations the hind wheel is 
materially reduced in size without any reasonable cause. There 
are a number of good chain-driven Safeties of this class in the 



4IO CYCLING. 

market ; the Sparkbrook Company, working very much on the 
hnes of the ' Kangaroo/ have produced a good machine. Singer 
& Co.'s ' Challenge Safety ' is also a very good pattern, in 
which safety is fully studied and an adjustable saddle standard 
is introduced, the rider being placed well between the wheels. 
The ' Invincible Safety,' made by the Surrey Machinist Com- 
pany, is a good machine, as is also the ' Club Safety,' made 
by the Coventry Machinist Company ; and so long as the rider 
sees that the main points laid down in the original type arc 
fairly carried out all will be right. 

Before leaving this type, it should be stated that they have 
two great drawbacks, excessive vibration^ and a great tendency 
to wobble ; the former is caused by the rider sitting on so small 
a wheel, and by the wheels being so close to each other ; the 
latter by the alternate pressure of the feet on the long cranks 
and gearing of the driving wheel : this naturally causes the 
wheel to go from side to side, and thus throws a great strain 
on the arms of the rider. 

Passing from this class, we come to another, in which the 
driving is usually effected by the rear wheel, which is the larger 
of the two, and the steering by the smaller wheel, which is 
placed in front ; to quote the very lucid description of one ob- 
server, ' the big wheel is a Httle one, and the hind wheel is in 
front.' This type presents certain points of advantage, and 
others which do not tell in its favour. As the feet do not 
possess any direct control over the steering wheel, as they do 
in the ordinary bicycle type of machine, the steering itself 
becomes somewhat sensitive, and the hand cannot be removed 
from the handle-bar without danger ; moreover, the more rapid 
rotations of the small wheel cause the steering to be very 
erratic in the hands of a beginner, and although all these 
points may be overcome by skill and practice, yet on the whole 
the more elderly ' Safety' riders do not care to take the trouble 
to master them. 

The 'Rover Safety,' introduced by its makers, Messrs. 
Starley & Sutton, in the year 1885, has made such rapid 



CONSTRUCTION. 



41 



progress in the public favour that it deserves very full mention. 
Here, undoubtedly, the makers have succeeded in producing 
a machine which fully deserves the term of ' Safety,^ and at 
the same time have in no way sacrificed speed. In the latter 
quality it will hold its own on roads with any make of cycle, 
whilst in the former it and its type stand alone. 

The principal features of the ' Rover ' are two large wheels, 
a long wheel base, the rear wheel driving, the front wheel 




Fig. 56. — THE ' ROVER • BICYCLE. 



Steering, and the rider suspended nearly equidistant between 
the two wheels. The front wheel is 32 inches or 36 inches in 
diameter, the rear wheel being of 30 inches only, and geared 
up. 

The forks of the front wheel have a great rake, terminating 
in a long hollow pillar, which holds an adjustable handle-bar. 
The backbone is fastened to the pillar by the ordinary head 
working on two cones, and then, trailing downwards, supports 
the crank wheel and its bearings, from which a strong tubular 



412 • CYCLING.. 

fork holds the rear wheel. Another light shell fork, rising at 
an angle from the axle of the back wheel, is tied by a light 
tubular rod to the neck of the backbone, on which is fixed an 
ordinary bicycle spring, or, if preferred, a cradle spring on an 
r pin. Now this machine possesses the following qualities, 
which will be taken in detail : Safety^ Absence of Vibration and 
Slide-slipping, Easy Steering, a Narrow Tread, a Single Chain, 
a Good Luggage Carrier, and lastly Speed. 

First, then, as to its Safety. Any observer will see at a 
glance that, from the position of the saddle with reference to 
the axle of the front wheel, headers are impossible. Mount 
the machine and ride it over bricks, large stones, &c., and a 
shaking is the only result to the rider ; take it against any 
obstacle sufficient to stop the front wheel, and the Rover will 
merely fall on its side, when all its rider has to do is to drop 
his foot on the ground. The writer of these notes had the 
safety of this machine very practically illustrated on one oc^ 
casion. Riding with a friend, a point was reached where the 
roads forked round a churchyard, which was surrounded by a 
low stone wall of about four feet high. Their proper road was 
the right-hand one, but his companion, thinking it was that to 
the left, steered accordingly, and, discovering his error too late, 
in changing his course rode straight at the wall, which certainly 
stopped the machine and caused it to fall to its side, the rider 
merely stepping off. Fancy the result of a similar experiment 
on an ordinary bicycle or on one of the front-wheel driven 
Dwarfs or Safeties, as it pleases their makers to term them ! 

Passing on to the next point, Vibration. This great draw- 
back of cycling is better overcome on this machine and its 
class than probably on any other make, in consequence of it 
having two large wheels with a long wheel base (i.e. distance 
from axle to axle), and the rider sitting nearly between the 
wheels, and not over one of them, as is usually the case on the 
ordinary bicycle. If the rider will also choose a ' Rover ' fitted 
with a cradle-spring, he will find its running particularly smooth 
and pleasant. 



CONSTRUCTION. 413 

Slipe-slipping. — IMost riders of dwarf bicycles have experi- 
enced this when riding on greasy roads with anything of a 
convex surface : the machine suddenly slips to one side from 
under them, and the result is a roll in the mud. The * Rover,' 
from its long wheel base and free steerage of the front wheel, 
overcomes this defect. 

Easy Steering. — This is consequent on the action of the 
feet not interfering with the steering wheel. There is, there- 
fore, no pedal pressure to resist with the arms, which are thus 
relieved of all strain. In this particular it much resembles the 
' Facile '; both machines are the easiest to steer with one hand, 
but the most difficult (in fact, almost impossible) to steer with- 
out their aid. ' Rover ' riders will find that the machine steers 
best with the handle bar raised about three or four inches above 
the level of the saddle. The handle-bar in this position also 
enables the rider to maintain a perfectly upright position. To 
practically realise the easy steering of the ' Rover,' it should be 
ridden alternately with one of the ' Kangaroo ' class. 

Narrow Tread. — For the benefit of the uninitiated it may 
be explained that this refers, to the distance between the pedals ; 
it is of great advantage to the rider to have this reduced as 
much as possible — it saves power, and is less tiring. In the 
machine under notice, for the reason that it has only one crank 
wheel, the tread is very narrow. 

One Chain. — Chains will stretch, and will collect dirt ; they 
are necessary evils in tricycles and geared-up bicycles, and the 
less one has to do with them the better ; but it is manifestly 
an advantage to have only one to adjust instead of two, as in 
the ' Kangaroo ' type. The ' Rover ' has an unique and very 
simple plan of adjusting the chain. This is effected by moving 
the back wheel backwards or forwards as required. 

Luggage-carrying. — Compared with 'two-wheelers,' the 
' Rover ' — owing to its length and safety— is the best machine 
extant for this purpose. Any reasonable quantity may be carried 
over the front wheel, and hills coasted with feet on the rests with 
the same perfect security as if no luggage were attached. The 



4T4 ' CYCLING. ^ 

writer has found that a circular valise admirably suits this 
machine. The article is 9 inches by 17 inches, with stiff leather 
sides, and is attached by means of three straps — two to the 
handle-bar and one round the pillar. The latter should not be 
tightened so as to interfere with the break.^ This vahse saves 
the extra weight and rattle of a luggage crate. 

Speed.— T\i^xQ is no doubt that it possesses great speed. 
This was first publicly illustrated by a road race, promoted by 
Messrs. Starley & Sutton in 1885, when fifty miles was covered 
by Mr. S. Golder in the excellent time of three hours and five 
minutes. On the road it is as fast as the ordinary bicycle, in 
consequence of its safety in coasting hills and its being a better 
hill-climber, the rider being directly over his pedals, and the 
driving wheel not skidding. On the path the ordinary bicycle is 
doubtless faster. The ' Rover ' and its class, then, from the many 
good qualities above enumerated, have probably a great future, 
and for road work will take the place of many tricycles when their 
perfect safety is more generally known. Before quitting this 
subject, one word of advice : Keep the steering wheel perfectly 
free and steering centres well oiled. 

There is yet one other type of Safety bicycle to be con- 
sidered—a type which practically stands alone. It is the 
* Dwarf 'Xtraordinary,' made by Singer & Co. This little 
machine should be most satisfactory in its working. Its main 
characteristics will be gathered from the description given else- 
where of the full-sized "Xtraordinary' illustrated on page 168. 

There is not much to be said as to the special attention 
necessary to attain a mastery of Safety machines. The rider 
must have constant practice to enable him to keep in good 
form for fast road work, and this exercise, when the gearing is 
high, should be graduated so as not to overstrain the muscles 
at first. In some cases the very long cranks fitted will be 
found irksome on long journeys, and the rider will do well to 

1 A still better way is to have a pair of Lamplugh's handle-bar luggage 
carriers fitted to the machine. We can testify to the advantages of this plan 
from personal experience. — B. 



CO.VS TR UCTION. 4 1 5 

have the cranks proportionately shorter, and the gearing 
lowered to correspond. Thus if a six-inch crank, when the 
machine is geared to sixty inches, is found awkward and 
uncomfortable, the throw may very well be lessened to five and 
a half inches ; and if the work is then found to be too heavy, 
the gearing may be reduced to fifty-five inches, or lower, with 
satisfactory results. This is a point to which makers and riders 
would do well to give more attention, as the varieties of 
machine are few as compared with the varieties of the men 
who ride them ; and whereas one man may do well on a given 
machine, it may go far to break up another rider of equal 
physique, but different make and style of riding. The various 
bearings and working parts of a Safety should always be care- 
fully looked after, as of course a very slight slip or alteration 
in the set of the pulley wheels may make a vast difference to 
the running of the machine ; and the strain upon the bottom 
bearings on each side is considerable, as might be expected, 
seeing that a long crank on one side has nothing but the 
bearing to balance it on the other. Thus it often happens, 
especially with new machines, that the lower wheels do not run 
exactly parallel- with the upper ones on the hub, and the result 
is that the chain rubs against the sides of the teeth, or, in very 
bad cases, mounts them, locking the wheel, breaking the forks 
or bearings, and in any case causing a severe fall. The rider 
on a new Safety should therefore frequently look at the pulley 
wheel or wheels, and run his eye along them to see that they 
are running true and straight. The chains require very careful 
adjustment, especially at first. If too tight, they cause the 
bearings to bite, and tend to break the balls in them ; whilst if 
they are too loose they may mount or slip off the teeth, and 
in any case are most uncomfortable in this condition. The 
rider should therefore be very careful to keep them at the 
right tension, which is best accomplished by slinging the 
machine and undoing the adjusting screws ; put both chains 
dead tight by pulling down the sliding brackets or raising the 
wheel, as the case may be, then by equal and gradual stages 



4i6 CYCLING. 

loosening the chains until the wheel runs freely and the chains 
on either side appear equally loose. A very little looseness is 
sufificient, but it must be apparent. When the adjustment 
has been carefully made, the machine should be ridden for 
some little way to see that all is right, and then with the aid of 
a long-handled spanner the nuts should be finally tightened 
up. This may require to be done very frequently at first, 
especially with the less carefully constructed machines ; but 
after due care the adjustment will remain practically rigid for 
a long time. The chains may be left dry, or oiled, but the best 
preparation to use with them is vaseline and plumbago. 

Knee breeches and stockings are almost a sijie qua non for 
Safety riders, as the revolving cog-wheels and chains seize upon 
loose garments and cause severe falls. The vibration of all 
Safety machines is considerable for the reasons pointed out 
above, and the double-action Arab cradle-spring is a vast 
assistance in breaking the jar. In ordering a roadster plenty 
of rubber on the wheels should be stipulated for, as this is 
effective in the same direction. 



TANDEM SAFETY BICYCLES. 

A good many attempts have been made from time to time 
to construct a satisfactory tandem bicycle, but it was not until 
the rear-driving Safety bicycle had been perfected that the 
tandem became a practical development, and now it bids fair 
to prove a success. There are, of course, many points upon 
which inventors have yet to exercise their ingenuity, but the 
machines already before the public have demonstrated that the 
Tandem Safety Bicycle will in the future prove of value. The 
Premier, the Hero, and the Lightning tandems have as yet 
found most favour if ridden continuously by the same riders. 
There is little doubt that the machine is both safe and speedy. 
Moreover, a lady can in most cases occupy the front seat, and, 
strange to say, a person unable to ride a bicycle in the ordinary 



CONSTRUCTION. -417 

way can be put on in front of a skilful rider without interfering 
seriously with his comfort. Altogether the machine has a future 
before it, without question. 



THE CHAIN. 

The chain is a very important feature in tricycles and Safety 
bicycles, and as such deserves a word of notice. It is composed 
of steel links and pins, and is very carefully made, as so very 
much depends upon its wear and accuracy. Like certain other 
parts — rubber tires, springs, bearings, and the like — the chain 
used in the cycling trade is very largely supplied by one firm, 
the Abingdon Company, the chain in question being known 
by the same name, and being a speciality with the Company. 
The details of its construction are very numerous, just as the 
various operations to finish an ordinary pin are wonderfully 
multiplied. For the Abingdon chain immense care is taken 
with every small detail. The two sides of the link are stamped 
very accurately to gauge, having a raised and a depressed end 
to fit over and under the next link of the chain ; on the inside 
the hole prepared for the pin is circular, but on the outside it is 
sexagonal, with a shallow drift cut round the circular orifice, all 
this being done in the substance of a thin link stamping. The 
pin with which the links are to be joined is of an exact gauge, 
the ends being carefully shouldered so as to bed up against 
the plates at the sides, and when put in position the pin-ends 
are riveted over, and in the process they spread out into the 
sexagonal drift on the outside of the link, and are thus prevented 
from revolving in the pin-holes. The whole design is most 
fully and carefully carried out, and the chain under the most 
critical inspection appears absolutely faultless, whOst the very 
close fitting does away with much of the ' stretch ' so usually 
found in cheap chains. The Abingdon chain is now so widely 
adopted for all classes of chain-driven velocipedes, that it is 
hardly necessary to describe any other chain, the only points 
of divergence usually being found in the less careful and 

E E 



41 8 CYCLIXG. 

accurate finish of the others ; though, of course, there are a 
number of other good chains in the market which do not enjoy 
the wide popularity and consequently the severe testing which 
this chain enjoys. 

Another chain which has found much favour is Illston's 
self- lubricating chain. The idea is a very novel one. The 
middle link, usually a solid, is in this case made in tvro parts, 
and is hollow, and this hollow link is filled with a very thick 
grease. The slight motion of the double parts of the link and 
the pins, which pass through the viscid lubricant, cause it to 
work out in infinitesimal quantities ; and thus the chain is kept 
lubricated without the necessity of oiling it — always a dirty job — 
for a practically unlimited time. This chain was used on the 
Cripper type tricycle upon which George P. Mills rode from 
Land's End to John o' Groat's, and he was much pleased with 
its working. Another of these chains has been in use for over 
eighteen months, and the amount of lubricant appears but 
slightly diminished. 

This chain only requires an occasional wiping to remove 
the dust, and has been proved by practical experience to be a 
very valuable innovation. 

THE DICYCLE OR OTTO BICYCLE. 

This type of machine, in which the rider balances himself 
above the axles of two wheels, found much favour with a few 
enthusiasts. For some seasons it has now, however, fallen into 
desuetude. Should it ever again become a popular mount, it 
will be in the shape of ^Velch's Patent Club Dicycle, made by 
the Coventry Machinist Company. 

This very pretty little machine is a 'positive ' steerer — that 
is to say, when the steering handle is turned to the right the 
machine at once turns to the right, whether the rider be driving 
or back-pedalling. It has been tested by some of the most 
experienced riders belonging to the Otto Cycling Club, and has 
been pronounced by them to be a decided advance upon all pre- 



CONSTRUCTION, 419 

vious dicycles. The merits of this peculiar class of machines are 
many : the balance is only maintained by the ' fixed points,' the 
pedals and saddle being always balanced one against the other, 
and in practice it is found that the weight of the rider is for the 
most part carried on the pedals. This must result in the perfec- 
tion of propulsion, inasmuch as the bodily weight is inevitably 
employed at each descent of the pedal ; moreover, the peculiar 
balance makes the machine progress very well against the wind, 
as on encounteiing a wind a rider can get so much more- 
directly over his pedals. The machine makes but two tracks, 
and the running is pecuharly 'lively.' 



RUCKER'S COUPLING EAR. 

Mr. M. D. Rucker startled the public by bringing out a 
'connecting bar' for two ordinary front wheels. This con- 
sisted of a straight tube, on the front end of which was fixed 
in the ordinary way a backbone head, whilst at the other end 
was fixed an mgenious joint, which permitted a certain amount 
of play, and a stout fiat link, inside which was another backbone 
head, directed forward. With this contrivance any two riders 
who used bicycles of about the same size could couple their 
driving wheels together by fitting the backbone heads of the 
Rucker bar into the heads of their machines. Although both 
riders steered independently and without any coupling of the 
steering, the pair could travel steadily and comfortably, retaining 
their equilibrium quite easily. 

MANUMOTIVE VELOCIPEDES. 

Just as many a cyclist on entering a rowing boat for the 
first time longs to use his legs instead of his unaccustomed 
arms for its propulsion, so the rowing man, condemned through 
absence from the river to idleness as regards his favourite form 
of sport, desires to propel himself by the use of his arms upon 
a tricycle ; and since the development of the lighter machines 



420 CYCLING. 

of the present day, the idea of a manumotive carriage, so 
famihar to our forefathers, has been frequently mooted. A 
large number of designs have from time to time been laid 
before the manufacturers and those practically acquainted with 
the resources of the trade, but very few have been sufficiently 
promising to warrant their being put practically upon the 
market. The best known and most widely used manumotive 
carriage, and the only one which has been pushed for any 
length of time, is the ' Velociman,' made by Messrs. Singer & 
Co. of Coventry. This vehicle was invented by the Rev. Mr. 
Charsley of Oxford, and has been carefully tested in practical 
use, and improved by its inventor since the day when, in a 
rather crude condition, it first saw the light. In its present 
improved form it has been widely adopted, and many cyclists 
would be surprised to learn the number of these machines 
which are yearly sent out from the Alma ^Street Works, As 
will be gathered from fig. 57, the machine is a halance geared 
rear-steering tricycle, but in place of the familiar rotary action 
and pedomotive gear there is a fixed crossbar which is practi- 
cally the rider's stretcher. Mounting, the rider seats himself 
upon a comfortably upholstered seat, and finds on either side 
the horn handles of two vertical levers. These drive a cranked 
shaft w^iich carries upon its right-hand end a toothed wheel, 
which in turn engages a short chain which runs over the gear 
box ; the action is a reach-out and pull-back, the seat does not 
shift, and the feet are placed firmly against the stretcher, though 
the machine is also fitted with a lever attachment in the form 
of a crossbar on which the feet can be placed when the work 
becomes very hard, and thus assist in driving the machine. The 
steering is perhaps the most original feature of the whole 
arrangement. A bar comes from the hind-wheel head to the 
back of the seat, where it is fitted with a half-circular cushioned 
back, against which the rider leans, and thus as long as he keeps 
his back unmoved steadies the steering, and makes the machine 
run straight ; a very slight twist of the hips will at once steer 
the carriage round any ordinary corner or curve, whilst for 



CONSTRUCTION. 



421 



complete and short turns, which are never made at high speeds, 
the rider can reach round with one hand and steer the machine. 
Strange as it may seem, this method of steering, when mastered 
by practice, is accurate and remarkably steady. 

The machine has an excellent record on the road, the 
Rev. ^Ir. Charsley himself, though no longer young, having 
ridden some very long distances thereon. Messrs. Singer hold 
testimonials from riders which at once demonstrate its use in 
special cases. A rural postman at Llandilo, who had the mis- 




FiG. 57- 



fortune to lose a leg in an accident, has not only been enabled 
to continue his work, covering over ten miles per day, by the 
aid of a velociman which was presented to him, but actually 
boasts of his pace, stating that he has covered six miles in 35 
minutes. In another case, a machine was purchased by subscrip- 
tion for a gentleman who was only 3 ft. 6 in. in height and had 
little or no power in his lower limbs. His first essay was to 
ride twelve miles in three hours over hilly roads. Another 



422 CYCLING. 

rider, who had the misfortune to lose both legs, finds his velo- 
ciman invaluable, and travels long distances upon it ; and in 
many other such cases the machine has proved an invaluable 
boon. The following notes from the pen of one of the most 
experienced users of a velociman in the country convey all 
the necessary hints for its adequate management, whilst some 
details of the machine's performances are also added 



VELOCIMAN MANUMOTORS. 

It may be advisable to give a few hints to beginners in riding 
the Velociman tricycle, but before doing so, it will be well to 
remark that when the peculiar action is acquired, there is no 
exercise more easy or more adapted to the natural motion of 
the body and limbs. 

The Velociman is essentially a hand tricycle, and therefore 
the inventor has made the motion of the hands his first con- 
sideration. There is no doubt, however, that the additional 
foot power adds immensely to the ease of propulsion, especially 
when stiff hills have to be overcome. 

Anyone who has had experience in rowing has felt the 
enormous power he gets when each scull meets an equal resist- 
ance from the water. There is no side strain, such as is felt 
when propelling a canoe by means of a paddle. For this reason 
the inventor of this machine so arranged the throw of the 
cranks that the lever should act simultaneously, giving as 
nearly as possible the sculling action when the cranks are below 
the centre; as they rise above the centre, the action of the arms 
becomes a pushing force, equally with both arms, thus retaining 
the equal tension of the muscles. Now there cannot be a 
pulling force without a stretcher, carefully adjusted, nor a push- 
ing force without something to push from ; hence one leg at 
least must always rest on the stretcher, while the back of the 
rider must feel the guiding pad during the entire forward stroke. 
This leads one to speak of the guiding pad. There is no part 
of the machine which needs a nicer adjustment than this. On 



COXSTRUCTION. 423 

it depends chiefly the ease of working. The writer has often 
met men riding this tricycle with apparent labour, because the 
adjustment of the levers to the pad was incomplete. He has 
altered it by shifting the ends of the levers, or reducing the 
throw of the cranks, and the consequent relief has been im- 
mediately visible. Let the rider bear this in mind. The 
machine must be so adjusted that, when the arms a7'e fully 
exfe?ided, the back unist still just feel the pad. This is necessary, 
too, for the guiding, and gives the rider perfect confidence. 
He feels the machine to be part of himself. 

In turning a sharp corner, or completing the circle, since 
the movement of the back would be excessive, it is very easy to 
move one hand from its lever, and apply it immediately to the 
guiding pad. 

The steering by means of the back is most perfect. The 
idea frightens many people, but the practice immediately dis- 
pels all fear. The movement of the back is so slight for any 
deviation required in ordinary riding that it is scarcely percep- 
tible. The will of the rider seems to guide the machine without 
any thought of the why and the wherefore. 

The inventor of the Velociman has ridden from London 
to Oxford, without a dismount at any of the hills. Those who 
know the road will recollect some formidable ones — for instance, 
Dashwood Hill, rising from the Wycombe Valley on to the 
Chilterns, through Stokenchurch — a hill always very loose 
and exceedingly steep, about three-quarters of a mile in length. 
He has also ridden from Oxford, through London, to within a 
few miles of Brighton, i.e. a hundred miles in a day. In fact, 
he was the first to show, on this machine, that a tricycle was 
capable of performing such long distances — a fact which has 
since been proved, in a much greater degree, by younger men 
than himself. 

It will be seen from the engraving that the chain of this 
machine is very short, and at a considerable height from the 
ground. Hence it is not so subject to get clogged with road 
sand, and wants very little adjusting. 



424 CYCLING. 

THE CARRIER CYCLE. 

The issue of The Tricyclist ' for August lo, 1883, contained 
a somewhat lengthy leader from the pen of its then editor, 
Wx. Lacy Hillier, upon 'The Practical Carrying Capacities of 
the Tricycle,' based upon a remark made by the Postmaster- 
General on August I, in Parliament, to the effect that tricycles 
were not adapted for parcel carrying. The writer went at some 
length into the question, and pretty clearly demonstrated the 
fallacy of the remarks of the Postmaster-General. In subse- 
quent issues of the same journal, many correspondents bore out 
the editorial remarks, one writer saying that he often carried 
50 lbs. of goods upon his tricycle on a round of twenty-four miles. 
In the issue of September 7 of the same paper appeared another 
article headed 'A " Carrier Tricycle," A Suggestion Adopted,' 
announcing the fact that Messrs. G. Singer & Co. had taken the 
matter up. 

The Coventry firm sent to the original inventor of the 
'Carrier' an experimental machine — fitted with a seat for a 
passenger, in place of a basket, and though it was geared very 
low (42 inches), Mr. Hillier rode a mile on the Crystal Palace 
track with Mr. G. Pembroke Coleman (official handicapper and 
time-keeper to the N.C.U.), who weighed \\\ stone, on the front 
seat, in 4 mins. 49-I- sees. 

' The Evening Standard ' was one of the first of the daily 
papers distributed by means of the 'Carrier,' and Messrs. 
Singer & Co. suppHed the proprietors with some excellent 
machines, the weak points of which were soon discovered in 
practical work and corrected rapidly; whilst at the present time 
the ' Carrier ' is found very stable, and wears well. 

The next material advance made by this useful vehicle was 
its adoption by the Post Office authorities for use in connexion 
with the Parcels Post. Not only were single ' Carriers ' adopted, 
but some excellent double ones were also put upon the road. 
The Parcels Post carriers are now fitted with a hi2;h round- 
topped holder, with separate compartments for heavy, light, 



CONSTRUCTION. 425 

and lengthy articles. The appearance of the scarlet official 
tricycles in the streets of London, alongside the heavily laden 
newspaper tricycles, opened the eyes of business men to the 
capacities of the tricycle in this direction, and many of them 
soon began to adopt the tricycle for use in their own businesses. 
Singers have fitted up a carrier with a milk-can for the matu- 
tinal delivery of ' Simpson ' in the London district; another with 
the ladders, paste-pot, and bills of a bill-poster in an extensive 
way of business,^ whilst a thousand and one articles of daily con- 
sumption are distributed throughout the metropolis by means 
of the ubiquitous ' Carrier.' 

THE COVENTRY CHAIR. 
Yet another departure is to be found in the use of the tri- 
cycle as a passenger vehicle. The Coventry Chair, made by 
Messrs. Starley & Sutton, has been rather extensively tested, 
and it has been found that an active rider can carry an average 
person at a good rate for remarkable distances. On several oc- 
casions the regular use of Passenger Tricycles has been mooted, 
but up to date only spasmodic attempts have been made to put 
this scheme in working order. Possibly the day is not very far 
distant when the use of the Passenger Tricycle will equal in 
England the popularity of the j inricksha of Japan. 

THE COOLIE CYCLE. 

The Coolie Cycle is a tricycle made by the Coventry 
Machinist Company, fitted with a seat and footboard in front 
for the ' sahib,' whilst a saddle and pedals behind accom- 
modated the coolie, who, to use the phraseolog}' of the early 
inventors of self-moving carriages, ' conducts ' the machine. 
The company sent a number of these cycles to the East, where 
they doubtless afforded amusement for the passengers and 
exercise for the drivers. 

Several other firms have from time to time made passenger- 
carrying vehicles, and doubtless in the future others will be put 
upon the market. 

1 See Introduction, page 55. 



426 CYCLING. 



ACCESSORIES. 

Luggage bags offer a very wide selection to the rider, whether 
bicydist or tricyclist ; the former is somewhat curtailed in his 
choice by the exigencies of his mount, which does not find 
accommodation for any very extensive baggage. The well-known 
Multum-in-Parvo, and its descendant the Clytie, are excellent 
for the purposes of the bicyclist — always providing that they 
are put upon a properly fitted carrier, such as the folding back- 
bone carrier, manufactured by Messrs. Lamplugh & Brown. 
Unless the bag is thus carried it is liable to slip, and, if it does 
so, may cause a very bad accident. In attaching any of these 
backbone bags care should be taken not to strap them to the 
saddle loops or to the loops of the spring, as in either case this 
course interferes with its elasticity and with the set of the saddle. 
On this same backbone carrier, a long bundle rolled in mack- 
intosh, as suggested in the chapter on Touring, can be strapped, 
and if a stout piece of leather, some four inches wide, be made 
up in the parcel, it will form a convenient bottom for the pack- 
age to rest upon on the transverse carriers. Some small bags are 
also made which can be carried on the head carriers, but this is 
not very convenient, except in the case of the Nagel carriers, 
and even then the mackintosh roll is to be preferred. The 
tricyclist is decidedly better off in the matter of luggage 
carrying, and here also the choice of the particular bag must be 
left to the rider ; in a great majority of instances it will be found 
best to use those bags specially designed to fit the carrier of the 
individual machine. Thus there are some excellent bags de- 
signed to fit the carrier on Humber type double-steerers, and 
special bags are sold with the machine by many makers. 
Several large firms give great attention to this class of cycling 
necessaries, and the wheelman desiring a tourist's outfit in this 
line should apply to Messrs. Lamplugh & Brown, or Messrs. 
Brooks & Co. of. Birmingham, who always hold large stocks of 
the best and newest desi;]:ns in ba^rs. 



CO.YS TR UCTION. 4^7 

The ^Yallet, or tool-bag, is generally supplied with tlie 
machine, and in the case of mere fancy appliances the choice 
rests with the rider, but it is always well for the buyer of a 
machine to inspect carefully the wallet supplied; in some cases 
the thing furnished is a cheap and ill-made piece of leather work. 
Stitching, however good, is by no means everlasting, and the 
jar will soon shake one or other of the small straps loose. The 
wallet falling to one side is almost certain to get nipped between 
the wheel and the backbone as it sways about; and a bad fall 
ensues. The best way to deal with this class of bag, if it can- 
not be replaced by something better, is to carefully cut the 
stitching and remove the two straps ; then with a sharp knife 
or chisel cut two parallel slits on either side of the back of the 
bag, each slit being made just beyond the stitching. If the 
straps are then put through with the buckle in its proper place 
the attachments will be practically secure, and any accident 
which may be caused by their breaking away will be averted. 

A rider should always have a wallet as large as may be con- 
venient, and should carry in it : 

I. The spanner supplied with the machine ; 2, An adjust- 
able spanner ; 3, An oil can ; 4, A piece of copper wire ; 
5, Some cotton waste. The spanners, &c., should be wrapped 
up in a piece of rag to prevent rattling. A warning of some 
importance may well be given here against the practice, in 
which so many riders indulge, of carrying bells, spanners, &c. 
in their pockets. Nothing can be more dangerous in the case 
of a fall than a bell, for example, in the breast pocket of a 
riding jacket. Serious bruising if not actual breaking of the 
ribs must ensue, and no rider can consider himself as abso- 
lutely safe from the chances of such an accident. Against these 
dangers a stout and properly fitted wallet is a complete pro- 
tection. 

BELLS AND GONGS. 

Every cyclist of sense carries a bell or gong, for not only is 
this course required by the by-laws in most districts, but these 



428 CYCLING. 

appliances are also by far the most convenient for warning 
passengers and vehicles of the wheehiian's approach. Certain 
qualities are required in these accessories. The bell or gong 
should sound loudly and with ease, and th.e ringing should be 
continuous under ordinary vibration ; it should be so made 
as to be silenced with ease, and it should wear well in all its 
parts. Nothing, for example, can be more annoying than the 
loss, perhaps miles from home on a dark night, of the clapper 
of the bell; and yet with some of these contrivances this is quite 
an ordinary occurrence. 

It would be impossible within reasonable limits to give 
even the names of half the bells or gongs at present offered 
to the public. The well-known firm of Challis Brothers, of 
'Homerton, have long been celebrated for the excellence of 
their wares in this line — some of their deep-toned bells and 
gongs being very good. J. Lucas, of Little King Street, 
Birmingham, has also a great reputation for this class of goods, 
his combination gong being decidedly one of the best things 
in this line. An internal clapper mounted on a spring keeps 
up a continuous ringing under almost a minimum of vibration, 
whilst by a very simple device it can be securely locked into 
silence ; an additional clapper with a convenient thumb-piece 
is also fitted, so that the rider can strike a single w^arning note 
at will. J. Harrison, of Birmingham, is another maker who 
caters cleverly for the gong-using public. Not cnly has he 
several excellent designs in bells and gongs, but he has one 
little invention peculiarly of service in this connexion in the 
shape of an adjustable gong attachment, simple in design, which 
enables the user to put a gong on to any machine with ease. 
This is a point of considerable importance, as many riders can 
testify who, having purchased elaborate gongs, found to their 
cost that they could not attach them to any convenient point 
of their machines. 

An almost interminable variety of bells, gongs, and such 
like attachments are offered to the cycling public, and with the 
above-mentioned list of the cardinal points required, the rider 



COXSTR UCTIO.Y. 4^9 

will have little difficulty in finding some suitable and practical 
appliance for the purpose. 

LAMPS. 

A lamp for both bicycles and tricycles is a necessity. Some 
cyclists used to boast that they never used a lamp ; but, like 
the gentleman who is proud to declare that he never wore 
a great-coat, the lampless cyclist places himself in a most 
uncomfortable position for no good reason. There was a time 
of course when the hub lamp was a serious source of danger, as 
it was ill-made, and the vibration to which it was exposed soon 
shook it to pieces, and it sometimes fell into the wheel, locking 
it and causing a nasty cropper. On one occasion a certain 
cyclist had an escape which was almost miraculous. He was 
flying a hill near Salisbury at top speed on a 6o-inch Keen's 
Eclipse when a primitive hub lamp in the front wheel fell from 
its attachments, and was flung through the spokes and five or 
six yards down the road without causing an accident. The rider 
went on without stopping to pick up the dangerous fitting. 
Those days have now, however, passed, and the modern hub 
lamp is most solidly and soundly turned out by our best firms. 
There are, as might be expected, a very large number of 
patterns in the market, but the variations are generally to be 
found in the minor details of fixing, fitting, or attachment. A 
successful lamp for the use of cyclists should be of sound con- 
struction, all parts being rivetted and none soldered, of medium 
size and reasonable weight, with a good-sized reservoir, a fair 
width of wick (some of the wicks are unnecessarily large), 
giving a good light, and with an easily reached reflector. The 
tremendous vibration to which cycling lamps are exposed calls 
for some practical and trustworthy method of fixing and holding 
up the wick, and it may fairly be said that a thousand and 
one designs have been tried for effecting this and cognate 
objects. Salsbury, of Long Acre, has for many years been pro- 
minent as a practical and successful lamp-maker, and his goods 
are in every way serviceable. One of his latest lamps has a most 



430 CYCLING, 

simple contrivance for the effective management of the wick. A 
loop of stout wire is hinged at the back of the reservoir, and, pass- 
ing forward on either side of the wick-holder, is bent over the 
front of the lamp. The result of this arrangement is thatwhen the 
door of the lamp is shut it presses the forward end of the loop 
down and automatically locks the wick-holder, reservoir and 
wick-adjustment at one operation. 

Lucas's King of the Road lamps also fully deserve the title. 
They are amongst the soundest, simplest, and safest lamps 
offered to cyclists, and every detail of the construction has been 
practically tested by thousands of users throughout the world. 
The fitting of prisms of coloured glass into the side-lights of 
lamps is a good idea, as it indicates to the drivers of any vehicle 
overtaking the cyclist the presence of the machine without the 
annoyance and danger which a tail-light always causes. In 
the matter of lamps the choice rests with the rider, but as a 
very great deal of his comfort, if not his safety, depends upon 
the quality and trustworthiness of his lamp, he will do well to 
patronise some old-established firm with a reputation for 
thoroughly sound work. 

Every cyclist should carry a lamp, which will be found very 
conducive to his own comfort, as well as a means of keeping 
him out of the clutches of the law. Colza oil — into each quart 
of which a lump of camphor the size of a walnut has been put — 
will be found the best thing to burn ; mixed oil will often smoke 
and fancy oils are not always obtainable. Colza is however to be 
purchased everywhere, and the rider is always sure of a supply 
in the most primitive village; olive oil burns well — if all the other 
oil be first emptied out. Reservoirs for carrying a supply of oil 
are sold, though few remain sound for any length of time in 
practical use; but tricyclists at any rate can always carry a stout 
flat bottle of oil, whilst a smaller one can be stowed in the wallet 
of the bicyclist. Riders who go in for long journeys at night 
should get a full-sized lamp with a large reservoir, and then 
have small wick tubes fitted, as a carefully trimmed ^-inch wick 
will give a sufficient fight, whilst the oil will not so soon be burnt 



COXSTRUCTIOX. 43 t 

out. As already suggested, the extra large wicks now fitted 
serve no good purpose. Nowadays, when side and back 
shutters are fitted to lamps, it does not often occur that much 
difificulty is found in lighting them even in a high wind. Some 
fixed flaming matches have been put in the market which are 
useful, though in a very high wind the lamp itself may be blown 
out ; under such circumstances the flaming match may be laid 
across the wick and the lamp shut, when it will usually light up all 
right. Should the rider only have wax or ordinary matches, he 
may lay a couple across the wick and try to touch them off with 
another, and close the door in time to keep the wick alight — 
or if he has a vesuvian, he can strike it and put it alongside the 
matches and shut the door. 

It very often happens that the comfort and safety of the 
rider depend entirely upon his getting his lamp alight in a 
heavy gale, and these hints collected by practical experience 
may under such circumstances be found of service. 

LUGGAGE CARRIERS. 

Luggage carriers are now almost invariably supplied by the 
makers of the machines on which they are used, with certain 
exceptions, and it will be usually found best to adopt the carrier 
usually fitted to the machine in the case of all classes of tricycles. 
The exceptions alluded to are the 'Nagel Carrier,' an in- 
genious wire contrivance fixed to the head of a bicycle, and so 
arranged that when the rider puts his legs over the handles 
going down hills, the carrier drops forward beneath them, being 
lifted back again, when the legs are removed, by a spring — the 
tension of which can be arranged with a strap. The idea is 
clever and fairly well carried out, though the top bracket is 
somewhat weak, and when it gives the break is put on by the 
pressure of the parcel. The other carrier is Lamplugh & 
Brown's handle-bar carrier, a ver)' clever idea. Two short rubber- 
coated bars are clamped upon the handle-bar, and fitted with 
straps. They are pivoted on the clamp, and when a parcel is to be 



432 CYCLING. 

carried, they are put at right angles to the handle-bar and the 
package is strapped on ; when no parcel is carried, the bars are 
folded back parallel with the handlebar, and they then form 
most convenient rests for the leg when going down hill with 
the legs over the handles. This fitting is very well finished 
stout and strong, and in practical use has proved one of the 
simplest and best of handle-bar luggage carriers. 

THE SADDLE. 

The saddle should always be most carefully selected. Many 
good riders are as loth to part with a saddle which suits them 
as a sportsman is to sell a gun, a dog, or anything else with 
which he has done well. A great many firms have made a 
speciahty of cychng saddlery, and a number of excellent 
saddles have been offered for the consideration of the public. 
The saddles of Messrs. Lamplugh & Brown of Birmingham 
have always been found most practical ; their well-known long- 
distance saddle being still in great favour, whilst the Record 
Saddle, an entirely novel contrivance, bids fair to prove a suc- 
cess in its way. A sound well-cut saddle should carry the 
rider's weight comfortably, without any tendency to ridginess, 
a very conspicuous failing in most cheap saddles. It will 
therefore be wiser for the beginner to buy a sound saddle of 
the ordinary type from a good maker, and, if once suited, to 
keep it until it is fairly worn out. Racing saddles should not 
be too small, but should afford a comparatively comfortable 
seat. The back may be turned up sharply, but the saddle, for 
reasons pointed out elsewhere, should never be ' pitched.' A 
suitable saddle is a necessity for the comfort of the cyclist. 

COMBINED SADDLE-SPRINGS, 

After a number of experiments, the combined saddle- 
spring has been perfected in England, and there are several on 
the market which are excellent for the purposes for which they 
are designed. Notable amongst them are those made by 



COA'S TR UCTION. 433 

Messrs. Brooks, and by Messrs. Lamplugh & Brown of Bir- 
mingham. The first, which is somewhat cumbrously called 
' Brooks' B 70 International,' is an excellent saddle, possessing 
one great desideratum in an arrangement whereby the height 
at the back can be regulated at the will of the rider. This, 
though but a small point, is of the very greatest value to the 
user, as it enables him to secure for himself exactly the posi- 
tion he requires for comfort. This saddle is well constructed 
throughout, and is one of the best in the iriarket. Very excel- 
lent, also, is the Anglo-American saddle made by Messrs. 
Lamplugh & Brown ; it is specially constructed so as not to 
become ridgy with wear, a fatal point with all the old American 
slung saddles, and it is an excellent fitting in every way. 
There are a number of other cleverly designed saddles in the 
market, and though in the ordinary bicycle close fitting is 
sometimes a desideratum, in Safeties and tricycles there i? 
ample room for the fitting of anti-vibration contrivances, and 
nowadays no rider need suffer for want of them. 




.vv^jV^M.^ 



r p 



INDEX. 



ABI 

Abingdon ball-bearing, 340 ; 

chain, 417 
Accelerators, 57 
Accidents, 15; advice respecting, 

172-175 
Agricultural Hall, the six days' 

professional contest at, 85 
Alexandra Park camp, 113 
Allepodes, 57 

Amateur, definition of an, 282 
Amateurs, makers', 43, 120, 

121 
America, clubs in, 261 
American riders, 118 
Anti-vibration handles, 343 
Arab cradle-spring, 7, 159, 163, 

166, 169, 201, 269, 343-345. 

396, 416 
Ardill's enamel, 166 
Automatic steerers, 398 



CHA 

Bicycle Touring Club ; see under 
Cyclists' Touring Club 

Bicycle Union ; see under Na- 
tional Cyclists' Union 

Bingley Hall exhibition, 259 

Birmingham branch of N.C.U., 
38 

Bivectors, 57 

Boat-cycle, eight-oared, 71 

Bone-shakers, 127, 341 

Books as teachers, 23 

Booth, Mr. Sclater, 283 

Bown's ball-bearings, 67; rubber 
pedals, 337 ; ^'Eolus bearings, 
340 _ 

Braid, in dress, 230 

Breaks, 173, 208, 331 

Brunswick Black, 166, 353 

Bury, Lord, 109, 258, 289, 392 



Backbone, the, 332 

Bags, ' Saturday to Monday,' 
20; ' Multum in Parvo,' 20, 
426 ; Clytie, 205, 426 

Balance gears, 66, 360-367 

Bearings, 67, 208, 338-341 

Bells, 427 

Bicycle tandems, 12,416 



Cabin John Bridge, 17 
Cabs, tricycle, 7 
Cairo, cycling at, 99 
Caps, 207, 220, 241 
Carrier tricycles, 7, 55, 

424 
Carriers, 426 
Celerifere, the, 54 
Chains, 413, 416, 417, 41S 



436 



CYCLING. 



CHA 

Championship winners, record 
of, 304, 305 

Cheylesmore clutch gear, 358, 
404 

Choice of a machine, 1 1 

Christopher, Major-General, 51, 
290 

Cinder tracks, 40, 41 ; see 
Tracks 

Clerks of the Course, 193, 301 

Clothing, 197, 228, 270, 416 ; 
see Dress 

Club life, 50 

Clubs : Amateur Athletic, 73, 
79, 81, 93, 118, 121, 262, 
277, 285, 293, 296 ; Anfield 
B., 70, 123, 260; Berlin B., 
99 ; Berretta, 305 ; Bicycle 
Touring (see under Cyclists' 
Touring Club) ; Bicycle Union 
(see under National Cyclists' 
Union) ; Bradford B., 95, 

259, 306 ; Brighton A., 74; 
Brighton B,, 80, 259 ; Bristol 
B., 260 ; Brixton Ramblers 
B., 70, 107, 257, 405; Cale- 
donian T., 261 ; Cambridge 
University, 6, 41,73,84, 118, 

260, 262, 279, 283, 304, 305 ; 
Canonbury, 70, 88, 95, 242, 
257; Cesky Velociped, Prague, 
115 ; Cheylesmore, 305 ; Chi- 
chester, 264 ; Civil Service 
C, 258; Clarence B., %z^ 
84 ; Clifton, 305 ; Connaught 
Rangers B., 94; CrichtonB., 
109; C.T.C. (see under); 
Druids B. , 88 ; Dublin, 305 ; 
Ealing and Acton T., 258; 
Eastbourne B. , 260 ; Edgbas- 
ton H., 305 ; Edinburgh Ama- 
teur, 261 ; Edinburgh Union, 
261 ; Finchley T., 97, 258, 



CLU 
289 ; Gainsboro', 305 ; Glas- 
gow T., 261 ; Glasgow Uni- 
versity, 26 1 ; Holborn C. , 258 ; 
League of American Wheel- 
men, 121 ; Leamington and 
South Warwickshire, 260 ; 
London Athletic, 91, 262, 304, 
305; London B., 73, "J^i^^Ty 
78, 84, 91,93, 103,116, 256, 
278, 279, 284, 291 ; London 
Scottish, 103, 116; London 
T., 108, 258 ; Middlesex B., 
69; Midlothian B., 261 ; Na- 
tional Cyclists' Union (see 
under) ; Newcastle Amateur 
B., 260 ; North Road, 10, 
122, 125, 391 ; North Shields, 
41, 87, 305 ; North Warwick- 
shire, 259 ; Northern Counties 
Athletic Association, 282 ; 
Nottingham, 305 ; Otto Cy- 
cling, 418; Oxford University 
B., 260, 262, 279, 283, 291, 
292, 304; Pickwick B., 255, 
278, 279 ; Portsmouth B., 
260 ; Preston, 305 ; Rane- 
lagh H., 305 ; Redditch and 
District B., 260 ; Rochdale 
Zingari, 260 ; Rovers, 257 ; 
Royal Bicycling Association, 
94 ; Runcorn Amateur, 260 ; 
Society of Cyclists, 122 ; 
South London T. , 268 ; Speed • 
well B., 106, 259, 305 ; 
Stanley C, 256, 264, 285, 
291, 304 ; Surrey B., 73, 81, 
86, 88, 93, loi, 257, 279, 
305 ; Sutton B., 107 ; Temple 
B., ^1, 80, 257, 278, 279, 
282 -y Tricycle Association, 
98 ; Tricycle Union, 19; 
Vectis, 305 ; Wanderers B., 
74, 80, 102, 104, 257, 278, 



INDEX. 



437 



CLU 
279, 282, 284, 304 ; War- 
stone, 304 ; Wells B. , 260 ; 
West Kent B., 78, 87, 88, 
102, 257, 281 ; West London 
T., 258 ; Wharfdale B., 93 ; 
York B. , 260 ; Zarcoe Selo 
(Russian), 261 

Clutch gear, 355, 357-360, 404 

Clytie bag, the, 205, 426 

Coasting, 139 

Cobb, Mr. G. F., M.A., 86 

Colchester, visit of Society of 
Cyclists to, 122 

Colony race meeting, 116 

Colza oil, 430 

Combination woollen garments, 
202, 252 

Combined saddle and spring, 

433 
Committees of race-meetings, 302 
Construction of cycles, 319 ; 
general mechanism, 319 ; 
head, 321 ; cone head, 322 ; 
Trigwell's ball-bearing head, 
323 ; socket head, 324 ; 
Abingdon ball head, 324 ; 
Ariel head, 325 ; American 
head, 326 ; adjustment of 
head, 327 ; handle-bars, 328 ; 
handles, 330 ; break fittings, 
331 ; backbone, 332 ; forks, 
333, 335; hubs, 334, 351; 
cranks, 336 ; pedals, 337 ; 
bearings, 338 ; spring, 341 ; 
Arab cradle-spring 343 ; 
Harrington's tilt-rod, 344 ; 
Lamplugh & Brown's sus- 
pension saddle, 344 ; wheels, 
347 ; new Rapid tangent 
wheel, 350; tricycles, 353, 
391 ; single and double drivers, 
355 ; Cheylesmore clutch gear, 
358, 404; single-chain balance 



cov 

gear, 360 ; James Starley's 
driving gear, 361 ; Spark- 
brook balance gear, 365 ; 
gearing level, 368 ; gearing 
down, 368 ; gearing up, 369 ; 
two-speed gears, 374 ; Crypto- 
dynamic gear, 375 ; Safety 
bicycles, 386, 404 ; the Facile, 
387? 389; the Kangaroo, 389; 
modern cycles, 390 ; Ordinary 
bicycles, 390; tandems, 391, 
395-397, 399-401 ; Humber 
type tricycles, 392 ; Cripper 
type, 397 ; Olympia type, 400 ; 
Quadrant tricycles, 400; Co- 
ventry Rotary, 402 ; sociable 
tricycles, 403 ; Major John- 
ston's notes on Safety bicycles, 
409; the Rover, 410; Dwarf 
'Xtraordinary, 414 ; tandem 
Safeties, 416 ; the chain, 417 ; 
Dicycle, or Otto bicycle, 

418 ; Rucker's coupling bar, 
419 ; manumotive velocipedes, 

419 ; velociman manumotors, 
422 ; carrier cycles, 424 ; 
accessories, 426 ; bells and 
gongs, 427 ; lamps, 429 ; lug- 
gage carriers, 431 ; the sad- 
dle, 432 ; combined saddle 
and spring, 432 

Consuls, 34 

Continental hotel charges, '^t^ ; 
tours, 84 

Coolie tricycle, 425 

Costume, 112; see Dress 

Cotton goods in cycling, avoid- 
ance of, 231 

Cotton wool, 224 

Coventry, workmen of, 7 ; the 
metropolis of the cycle trade, 
61 ; police on cycles, 93 ; see 
Machines and Makers 



438 



CYCLING. 



cov 

Coventry chair cycles, 8, 9, 425 

Cramp, 148, 244 

Cranks, 336 

Croppers, 14, 173, 409 

Crypto-dynamic gear, 269, 375- 
381, 384, 385 

Cycling, progress of, reviewed, 
I ; numbers of cyclists, 3 ; 
relative speed and advantages 
of bicycles and tricycles, 4, 13, 
14 ; for business purposes, 7 ; 
for invalids, 8 ; for pleasure, 
9 ; adopted by royalty, 10; one 
advantage of the tricycle over 
the bicycle, 11 ; unsuitability 
of the bicycle for ladies, ii ; 
choice of a machine, 1 1 ; pre- 
cursors of modern cycles, 1 3 ; 
falls from cycles, 14-16 ; 
Kauffman's and McAnney's 
feats, 18 ; lightness of modern 
machines, 20 ; introduction of 
the suspension wheel, 21 ; the 
rider's novitiate, 23 ; books 
as teachers, 23 ; obstacles to 
be overcome, 25 ; dwarf or 
Safety bicycles, 28 ; clubs,'29, 
49, 50, 255-265 ; public dis- 
like of, 29 ; the St. Albans 
coach, 30, 75 ; establishment 
of the National Cyclists' 
Union and the Cyclists' Tour- 
ing Club, 30 ; road repair and 
surveying, 37 ; Birmingham 
meeting on road reform, 38 ; 
the ' Roads Improvement 
Association,' 39 ; pleas for 
racing, 40 ; the Twenty-five 
Miles Championship, 41 ; 
' rings,' 42 ; the makers' 
amateur question, 43, 120, 
121; professionals, 44 ; electri- 
city applied to cycles, 44-48 ; 



CYC 
the press, 48 ; photography, 
51; economics of, 54; early 
velocipedes, 57 ; self-moving 
carriages, 58 ; introduction 
of the bicycle from France, 
59; Coventry as the metro- 
polis of cycle-manufacture, 
61 ; James Starley and 
William Plillman in the field of 
invention, 64 ; manufacturing 
progress, 65 ; the first long- 
distance record, London to 
John o' Groat's house, 69 ; 
sports at the Crystal Palace, 
71 ; medical opinion on 
healthfulness, 72, 112; es- 
tablishment of Four Miles 
Amateur Championship by 
Amateur Athletic Club, ^-^ ; 
increasing popularity, 74 ; 
the Bath to London contest, 
76 ; first meet at Harrogate, 
78 ; attitude of the athletic 
associations, "jZ ; the meet at 
Hampton Court, 79 ; meet 
at Leamington, 79 ; Scot- 
land establishes a Ten Miles 
Road Championship, 80 ; the 
' Sporting Life ' Challenge 
Cup, 81 ; taken up by the 
clergy, 82 ; continental tours 
and expenses, %'^^ 84 ; advent 
of the modern tricycle, 83 ; 
the ' Times ' on the bicycle, 
84 ; six days' professional 
contest at the Agricultural 
Hall, 85 ; police interference 
with road-racing, 89 ; the 
Over Turnpike Case, 89 ; the 
Rara Avis Tricycle, 89 ; rela- 
tive merits of professional and 
amateur riders, 90 ; memorial 
opposing highway by-laws. 



INDEX. 



439 



CYC 

91 ; the Otto bicycle, 92 ; 
danger-boards, 92 ; Stanley- 
Show at Holborn Town Hall, 

92 ; London meeting of the 
Cyclists' Touring Club, 92 ; 
formation of the Amateur 
Athletic Association, 93 ; 
police on the wheel, 93 ; the 
Royal Bicycling Association, 
94; Harrogate camp, 95, loi ; 
the Tricycle Association, 98, 
102 ; a novel ' amateur ' defini- 
tion, 98 ; establishment of 
' The Cyclist,' 99 ; a steam tri- 
cycle, 99 ; Prince Yeo of Siam 
as a cyclist, 99 ; movable 
championships, 99 ; bicycle 
ride on the Goodwin Sands, 
106 ; the last Fifty Miles 
road race, no; discussion by 
ladies in camera on suitable 
costume, 112; Major Knox 
Holmes' match with Mr. 
Lacy Hillier, 116; marvel- 
lous American records, 118; 
Springfield 'World's Records,' 
120 ; visit of Society of Cyclists 
to Colchester, 122; George P. 
Mills' rides from Land's End 
to John o' Groat's, 123, 125; 
an Irish tour, 124; 'Carrier' 
tricycle adopted by Post Office, 
125 ; the whole art of riding 
(see Riding), 127-175; racing 
(see Racing), 176- 194 ; tour- 
ing (see Touring), 195-209 ; 
training (see Training), 210- 
227 ; dress (see Dress), 228- 
254 ; tricycle exercise medi- 
cally prescribed for children 
with weak joints, 243 ; cost 
of a cycling outfit, 253 ; lady 
pioneers and their difficulties, 



CYC 

267 ; the fair sex on tandems, 

268 ; suitable tricycles for 
ladies, 269 ; clothing for ladies 
(see under Dress) ; ladies in 
clubs, 270 ; racing paths (see 
Tracks), 271-276; the Na- 
tional Cyclists' Union and its 
work (see under), 277-305 ; 
Cyclists' Touring Club and its 
work (see under), 306-312 ; 
the Press and cycling litera- 
ture, 313-318; construction 
of machines, 319-389 ; modern 
cycles, 390-433 

Cyclist's pocket dressing-case, 
203 

Cyclists' Touring Club, 3 ; for- 
mation and scope of, 30 ; work- 
ing staff, 33, 34 ; arrangements 
with hotel proprietors, 35, 
311 ; subscription and num- 
bers, 37, 312 ; co-operates 
with the N. C. U. in road 
reform, 39 ; famous London 
meeting, 92 ; change of name 
from Bicycle Touring Club to 
C.T.C., 107, 306; meeting of 
lady members on the subject of 
dress, 112, 246, 311 ; resig- 
nation of Mr. N. F. Duncan, 
1 20 ; advantages of member- 
ship to tourists, 196, 310; 
the Handbook, 196 ; suit- 
ability of material of costume 
for touring, 228 ; prices of 
outfit, 253 ; Mr. Stanley J. 
A. Cotterell as secretary, 306 ; 
Mr. Walter D. Welfjrd as 
secretary, 306; Mr. E. R. 
Shipton as secretary, 307 ; 
prospectus, 307 ; uniform, 
311 ; road-book, 312; danger- 
boards, 312 



440 



CYCLING. 



DAL 

Dalzell, Gavin, maker of a 
bicycle in 1836, 59 

Dandy -horse, the 13, 54, 59, 
78 

Danger-boards, 92, 290, 312 

Dickens, Charles, as a cyclist, 55, 
92, 255 

Dicycles, 418 

Disturnpiking Act, the, 140 

Doctors, 72 

Donington Trust Road, the, 39 

Draisnene, the, 13, 54 

Dress, 220; C.T.C. costume, 
228 ; usefulness and health- 
fiilness to be considered first 
of all, 229 ; outer garments, 
229 ; use of braid, 230 ; flannel 
and woollen material only 
to be used, 231 ; illnesses 
arising through the use of 
cotton or linen linings, 231 ; 
the jacket, 233, 235 ; Nor- 
folk jacket, 235 ; webbing 
jackets, 235; the 'Weather 
Defiance ' of the Sanitary 
^Yoollen Company, 236 ; the 
waistcoat, 236 ; knicker- 
bockers or kneebreeches, 236, 
237 ; gaiters, 236 ; knitted 
or webbing breeches, 238 ; 
pockets, 239 ; stockings, 239 ; 
garters, 241 ; head -gear, 241 ; 
C.T.C. helmet, 242; Canon- 
bury Cycling Club helmet, 
242 ; Stanley helmet, 242 ; 
shoes, 243 ; Perfecta shoe, 
245 ; ladies' costume in detail, 
246-251 ; under garments, 
251 ; sweaters, 251 ; com- 
binations, 252 ; cashmere 
neckerchiefs, 252 ; prices of 
cyclist's outfit, 253 ; maxims 
on, 253, 254 



EVE 

Dressing-case, pocket, 203 
Dressing-room clerk at race- 
meetings, 192 
Dwarf bicycles, 386, 409 ■ 



Edinburgh meet, the, 102 

Electric Power and Storage Co. , 
46 

Electric tricycles, 44-48 

Elliman's Embrocation, 154, 
175, 226 

Emery cloth, 166, 167 

Enamel, 166 

Entry forms, N.C.U., 297 

Events, on the track and on 
the road : — Amateur Athletic 
championship, 283 ; Bath to 
London, 76, 82, 83 ; Bourne- 
mouth to Hitchin, 263 ; 
Cambridge Two Miles In- 
vitation, 118; Caterham to 
Merton, 108 ; championship 
of Yorkshire, 87 ; Crystal 
Palace Challenge Cup, 87, 
115 ; fifty miles champion- 
ships (bicycle and tricycle, 
various), 81, 94, 97, lOO, 103, 
105, no, 114, 115, 119, 123, 
124, 263 ; fifty miles tricycle 
championship (Scotland), loi, 
102, 1 10 ; five miles champion- 
ships (bicycle and tricycle, 
various), 90, 94, 103, 1 14, 118, 
119, 123, 124, 263,293,399; 
four miles amateur champion- 
ship, 262 ; Hamburg to 
Bbnningstedt, 115; hundred 
miles road race, 120, 125 ; 
John o' Groat's to Penrith, 
113 ; Kew Bridge to Black- 
water, 88 ; Kildare Chal- 
lenge Cup, 115; Land's 



INDEX. 



441 



EVE 

End to John c' Groat's, 95, 
102, 107, 113, 118, 123, 125, 
263, 373, 418 ; Leeds to Lon- 
don, 93 ; London B. C. 1 00 
miles, 82 ; London to Bath, 
93 ; London to Edinburgh, 
115, 116 ; London to John o' 
Groat's, 88 ; London to York, 
84, 102 ; Keen and Cortis's 
match at Molyneux Grounds, 
Wolverhampton, 90 ; North 
Road Club 100 miles, 391 ; 
one mile championships (bi- 
cycle and tricycle, various), 
77, 90, 94, 100, 103, 109, 
118, 119, 122, 123, 293, 371, 
399; Surrey Cup, 106, iii, 
113, 116, 118, 120, 121, 125, 
257 ; ten miles championships 
(bicycle and tricycle, various), 
100, 109, 114, 257; tricycle 
road championship, 1880, 392; 
twenty miles championship, 
90 ; twenty-five miles cham- 
pionships (bicycle and tricycle, 
various), 41, 94, 100, 103, 
no, 114, 119, 120, 122, 124, 
263 264, 283, 292-294, 399; 
two miles championships, 
262, 283, 292 ; Two Miles 
Invitation, 87 ; University 
Ten Miles Invitation, 86 



Falls, 14 
Foot-rests, 269, 397 
Forks, m, 335 
France, cycling in, 83, 119 
P'riction, 26 



IMP 
Gearing, 28, 160, 269, 358-386, 

405 
Gloves, 173 
Gongs, 427 

Goodwin Sands, riding on, 106 
Guide-books, 196 



Hampton Court, the meet at, 
79, 93, 100, 102, 107, 113, 
122, 256 

Handbook of the C.T.C., 196 

Handicappers, 92, 284, 299 

Handicapping, 190 

Handle-bars, 95, 138, 141, 142, 
145, 223, 328, 343 

Hand-rubbing after cycling ex- 
ercise, 225 

Harrogate camp meet, 78, 95, 
loi, 104, no, 115, 120, 124, 

259 
Harrogate, cycling at, 8 
Head-dress, 207 
Headers, 409 
Heads, Stanley, 169, 321, 392 ; 

see Construction 
Helmets, 242 
Henry's Thilum, 175, 226 
Hernia, 180, 181 
Highway rates, 39, 40 ; by-laws, 

91 ; Act, 283 
Hobby-horse, 13, 54-56, 62 
Home-trainers, 147, 148, 381 
Hostility to cyclists, 2 
Hotels, 35, 311 
Hubs, 334, 351 
Hutchens, Mr. (N.C.U.), 283 
Huxley, Professor, quoted, i 



Gaiters, 236 
Garters, 241 



Illston's self-lubricating chain 

418 
Imperial crowners, 14, 16 



442 



CYCLING. 



INT 

International Tournament, the, 

122 

Inventors ; see Makers 
Italy, cycling in, 83 



Jackson, Sir Henry, 283 
Johnson, Major, quoted, 409 
Jones, Mr. Warner, his treatise 

on cycling, 24, 28 
Journals and literature referred 
to :— Athletic News, 316 ; 
Athletic Review, 215 ; Bi- 
cycle, 317 ; Bicycle, its Use 
and Action, 316; Bicycle 
Annual, 317 ; Bicycling News, 
16, 92, 315; C. T. C. Ga- 
zette, 198, 317; Cyclist, 52, 
62, 95, 98, 203, 314 ; Cyclist 
Christmas Number and An- 
nual, 317 ; Cyclists' and 
Wheel- world Annual, 1 96 ; 
Daily Telegraph, 78, 96 ; 
Daily News, 93 ; Der Rad- 
fuhrer, 317 ; Evening Stan- 
dard, 424 ; Field, 263, 316 ; 
Indispensable Handbook both 
for the Bicycle and Tricycle, 
52, 317; Irish C)'clist, 124; 
Ixion, 59 ; Land and Water, 
316; Magazine of Sport, 317; 
Mechanics' Magazine, Mu- 
seum, Register, Journal, and 
Gazette, 57 ; Nineteenth Cen- 
tury, 291 ; Olympia, 315, 
317; Pastime, 316; Pater- 
son's Roads, 196; Phillips' 
Cyclists' Pocket Road Guides, 
196 ; Pittsburg Dispatch, 17 ; 
Punch, 62 ; Referee, 316 ; 
Scottish Athlete, 316; Scot- 
tish Umpire, 316 ; Sport and 
Play, 316; Sporting Life, 



MAC 
81, 316; Sportsman, 316; 
Sturmey's Handbook, 314, 
317, 364; Things a Cyclist 
Ought to Know, 317 ; Times, 
84, 112; Tricycling Journal, 
315; Tricyclist, 315, 424; 
Velocipede and How to Use 
it, 316 ; West Sussex Gazette, 
'jZ; Wheeling 315; Wheel 
Life, 315; -Wheel World, 315 
Judges at race meetings, 191, 
298-302 



Kangaroo hunts, 121 
Khedive of Egypt, 10 
King of the Road lamp, 430 
Knox Holmes, Major T., 116 



Labels for parcels, 205 
Ladies, bicycle for, 92 ; riding 

costume, 112, 246 ; tricycling 

for, 266 
Lamplugh's handle-bar luggage - 

carriers, 414 
Lamps, 209, 429 
Lap-scorers, 193, 301 
Leipsic, racing at, 120 
Linen in cycling, avoidance of, 

231 
Liverpool local centre of the 

N.C.U., 117 
Luggage-bags, 426 
Luggage-carriers, 414, 426, 431 



McAdam, quoted on road re- 
pairing, 37 

Macdonald's self-moving car- 
riage, 58 

Machines : — American Star, 
391 ; Beeston Cripper, 125 ; 



INDEX. 



443 



MAC 
Beeston Humber, 66, 70, 122, 
123, 371 ; Carrier, 125, 424; 
Challenge Safety, 410; Chal- 
lenge tricycle, loi, 354; 
Cheylesmorerear-steerer, 358 ; 
Club Safety, 410; Club di- 
cycle, 418 ; Club sociable, 
404 ; Club tandem, 399 ; 
Coolie Cycle, 425 ; Corona 
tandem, 400 ; Coventry Ro- 
tary, 7, 354, 402, 403; 
Coventry Machinist bicycle, 
15 ; Cripper tandem, 399 ; 
Cripper tricycle, 123, 269, 
354, 397> 398, 418; Cruiser 
tricycle, 116; Cunard, 269; 
Devon, 357 ; Dwarf 'Xtra- 
ordinary, 414 ; Eclipse bi- 
cycle, 90, 429 ; Excelsior, 
loi, 335 ; Facile, 105, 107, 
113, 120, 348, 387, 389, 
405-407, 413; Farringdon 
bicycle, 390 ; Gentleman's 
bicycle, 16, 325, 341 ; Plero 
tandem, 416 ; Humber tan- 
dem, 117, 123, 384, 395- 
397 ; Humber tricycle, 98, 
120, 134, 144, 154, 157, 161, 
167, 179, 330, 334, 354, 365, 
369, 386, 392-394, 396 ; In- 
vincible, 103, 123, 334, 350 J 
Invincible Safety, 410 ; Invin- 
cible sociable, 112; Invincible 
tandem, 116, 117, 123; Ivel 
Safety, 125 ; Kangaroo Safety, 
66, 116, 389, 407, 408, 410, 
413; Ladies' bicycle, 92; 
Lightning tandem, 416 ; 
Marlborough tricycle, 123 ; 
Marriott <l!c Cooper's Hum- 
ber, 122, 125, 373 ; Merlin, 
358 ; New Patent Coventry 
tricycle, '^i ; New Rapid, 



MAK 
350; Olympia, 355, 400; 
Olympia tandem, 400; Omni- 
cycle, 358; Otto, 92, 418; 
Pony bicycle, 387 ; Premier, 
335, 336, 372; Premier racer, 
124 ; Premier Safety, 123, 

335 ; Premier sociable, 404 ; 
Premier tandem, 416 ; Psycho, 
269 ; Quadrant Safety, 401 ; 
Quadrant tandem, 401 ; Quad- 
rant tricycle, 124, 330, 354, 
371, 4CMD, 401 ; Ranelagh Club, 
330 ; Rara Avis, 89, 392 ; 
Rational Ordinary, 390, 391, 
397 ; Ripley tricycle, 399 ; 
Rover, 28, 120, 389,407,410- 
414; Rudge bicycle, 113; 
Rudge's Rotary tricycle, 120, 
402 ; Salvo, 7 ; Salvo sociable, 
404 ; Sparkbrook two-speed 
tricycle, 375 ; Stanley bicy- 
cle, 321 ; Star tricycle, 16, 
92 ; Velociman, 422 ; 'Xtra- 
ordinary bicycle, 168, 391, 
414 

Makers and inventors, &c. : — 
Abingdon Co., 417 ; Beal, 
John, 387; Bown & Co., 7, 
340, 341 ; Brooks & Co., 
426, 433 ; Carver, James, 

336 ; Challis Brothers, 428 ; 
Charsley, Rev., 420, 421 ; 
Claviger Cycle Company, 391 ; 
Coventry Machinist Company, 
64, 65, 325, 341, 354, 387, 
399, 404, 410, 418, 425; 
Crypto Cycle Co., 375, 400; 
Ellis and Co., 105, 348, 387, 
390 ; Gibbons, 269 ; Goy & 
Co., 56, 245 ; Harrington & 
Co., 7, 163, 343, 344; Har- 
rison, J., 428; Haynes & 
Jeffries, 65, 83, 402 ; Hill- 



444 



CYCLING 



MAK 
man, William, 64, 66 ; Hill- 
man, Herbert & Cooper, 64, 
88, 116, 172, 354, 371, 407 ; 
Humber, Thos., 321, 392, 
397 ; Humber & Co., 65, 
122, 123, 177, 321, 340, 
399 ; Hydes & Wigfull, 65 ; 
Jones, F. Warner, 357 ; 
Lamplugh & Brown, 7, 344, 
426, 431, 432^ 433 ; Lucas, 
J., 428, 430 ; McDonald, D., 

58 ; Marriott & Cooper, 122, 
125, 373, 399, 400; Mehew, 
Messrs., 58 ; Michaux & Co., 

59 ; Quadrant Tricycle Co. , 
401, 402 ; Rucker, M. D., 419 ; 
Rudge & Co., 65, 120, 402; 
Salsbury, 429 ; Shaw, W. T. , 
375; Singer & Co., 65, loi, 
168, 340, 348, 399, 410, 414, 
420, 421, 424 ; Smith, Mil- 
browe, 147 ; T. Smith & 
Sons, 7, 321 ; Sparkbrook 
Co., 375, 381, 410; Sparrow, 
T., 92 ; Starley, Brothers, 
269, 354 ; Starley, James, 7, 
61, 64, 83, 360, 361, 402 ; 
Starley & Sutton, 120, 410, 
414, 425 ; Surrey Machinist 
Co., 337, 348, 351, 390, 399, 
410 ; Trigwell, Watson & Co., 
324 

Makers' amateurs, 43, 120, 121 

Manivelociters, 57 

Manumotive velocipedes, 419 

Maps, 196 

Matches, 431 

Mayall, John, photographer, 60 

Midland meet at Leamington, 

79 
Modern cycles, 390-433 
Multum-in-parvos 20, 426 
Myopy, 181 



NAT 
Nagel carrier, the, 204, 426, 

431 
Nairn, C. W., road-books of, 

314, 317 
Napier, Sir Charles, quoted, 20 
National Cyclists' Union, meet- 
ing convoked by the Birming- 
ham branch on road reform, 
38 ; co-operation with C. T. C. 
in improvement of highways, 
39 ; absorption of the Tricycle 
Association, 98, loi, 102 ; 
publication of executive re- 
ports, 98 ; action on movable 
championships, 99 ; questions 
bona fides of certain road per- 
formances, 117; dissolution of 
Liverpool Local Centre, 117; 
disputes with Amateur Athle- 
tic Association, 118 ; meeting 
at Fleet Street and prospectus 
issued, 93, 279; objects and 
proposed constitution of the 
Union, 30, 280 ; definition of 
an amateur, 44, 282 ; establish- 
ment of championships, 283, 
284 ; action on the Highways 
Act, 283 ; contest between 
amateurs and professionals, 
284 ; aid from the Universities, 
284 ; internal reform, 284 ; 
appointment of Mr. M. D. 
Rucker as handicapper, 92, 

284 ; dissension with Bicycle 
Touring Club, 284; Mr. Lacy 
Hillier's scheme for the esta- 
blishment of local centres, 

285 ; rules relating to local 
centres, 285-288 ; working of 
the centres, 288 ; election of 
Lord Bury as President, 289 ; 
alteration of the Union's name, 
290 ; institution of danger- 



INDEX. 



445 



NAT 

boards, 290 ; the reserve fund, 

290 ; assault cases taken up, 

291 ; road repair, 113, 291 ; 
action against eight road sur- 
veyors at the Halesowen court, 

291 ; Mr. H. R. Reynolds' 
article on road-making in the 
' Nineteenth Century,' 291 ; 
the control of cycle racing, 

292 ; annual amateur cham- 
pionships, 292 ; tricycling 
championships, 293 ; war and 
peace with the A. A. A. , 296 ; 
regulations for the government 
of race meetings, 190, 297 ; 
entries, 297 ; prizes, 297 ; at- 
tendants, 298 ; protests, 298 ; 
starting, 298 ; the enclosure, 
299 ; general rules, 299 ; the 
officials, 300 ; definitions of 
machines, 302 ; definition of 
a novice, 303 ; record of cham- 
pionship winners, 304 ; other 
references, 4, 10, 31, 44, ']i, 
75> 93, 117, 120, 121 

Norfolk jackets, 235, 248 
North of England meet, Harro- 
gate, 95, 308 
Novice, definition of a, 303 

Oil, 385, 430 
Olive oil, 430 

Paraffin, 208 

Parkyns, Sir Thomas, his steam 

tricycle, 99 
Partridge, Dr. G. B., on the 

treatment of wounds, 175 
Passenger tricycles, 425 
Pedalling, 134, 149, 151, 152 
Pedals, 157, 171,172,337, 381, 

386 



RAC 

Perfecta shoe, the, 245 

Phillips, R. E. , his pamphlet on 
cycling, 317 

Photography, 19, 51, 403 

Police, on the wheel, 93 ; pro- 
hibition of road racing, no; 
at race meetings, 193 

Post Office, use of carrier-tri- 
cycle by, 125, 424 

Precursors of modern cycles, 13 

Press, the cycling, 48 ; at race- 
meetings, 193, 299; 313-318 ; 
see under Journals 

Prices of cycling outfits, 253 

Prince Imperial, the, 78 

Prizes, 194, 297 

Professional riders, 44 



RACE-meetings, management, 
rules, and officials of, 1 90- 194, 
297-304 ; see N.C.U. 

Races, pleas for, 40 

Racing, its service to the cause 
of cycling, i "]() ; clamour for 
light machines, 177 ; compari- 
son of Lacy Hillier's 18S0 60- 
inch Humber tricycle with G. 
Gatehouse's 44-inch Humber 
racer, 179 ; medical opinion 
on competitor's suitability, 
179 ; physical drawbacks, 
181 ; preliminary work on the 
road, 182 ; choice of a ma- 
chine, 182 ; machine to be 
built for the rider, 184 ; the 
short throw and sprinting, 
185 ; position of the handles, 
185, 189 ; the saddle, 185, 
189, 432 ; maker's opinion as 
to weight of machine, 187 
editorial experience on light- 
ness 187 ; size of cycle, 189; 



446 



CYCLING, 



RAC 
management of race meetings, 
190-194, 297-304; styles of 
various riders, 217 
Racing paths, 40 ; way round, 
117; special requisites for, 

271 ; composition of tracks, 

272 ; characteristics of best 
• tracks, 272-276 ; see Tracks 
Rat-trap pedals, 171, 172, 269, 

337 
Recommended houses, 35 
Record saddle, the, 432 
Resin, 208 
Reynolds, Mr. H. R., on roads, 

291, 292 
Riders : — 

Adam, F. L., 188 

Adam, W. K., 103 

Adams, J. H., 107,113, 1 19, 
120, 124, 125 

Airey, J. R., 256 

Allard, F. W., 123, 305 

Allen, Mrs., 119 

Appleyard, F. E., 82 

Asbury, R. V., 125 

Auster, A. C, 108 

Bailey, D. J. S., 265 

Baker, R. C, 98 

Ball, W. F., 124, 125 

Battensby, T., 218 

Beck, G. F., 292 

Beningfield, J. W., 256, 278, 
279 

Bird, Alfred, no 

Blackwell, H., jun., 88, 94 

Bourdon, W., in 

Britten, W., 83, 84 

Brown, A. S., 88, 89 

Brown, J. W. M., 107, no 

Brown, W., in, 115, 116, 
117 

Bryson, R. S., 80 

Butler, A. D., 93 



RID 
Riders {cont.') : — 

Chambers, R., 114, 119, 305 

Choice, Miss J., 112 

Cobb, G. F., M.A., 260, 279, 

280 
Cole, C. H., 105 
Coleman, G. Pembroke, 82, 

125, 256, 424 
Cooper, Edward, 21 
Cooper, F., 71, 77, 86, 102, 

176 
Corbett, S., 100, 354 
Cornell, Walter, 278 
Corsellis, H. N., 118 
Cortis, H. L., 71, 74, 80, 

86, %-], 89, 90, 91, 94-98, 

102-105, ii5> 121, 263, 

284, 304 
Coston, W. E. N,, 74, 84 
Cousens, 294 
CrijDps, Robert, 117, 118, 120, 

294, 295, 305, 397 
Crute, C, 98, loi, 103 
Davenport, Horace, 215 
Davis, John, 78 
Day, G. D., 264 
• Dean, J. S., 94 
Derkinderin, A. E., 81, Z%, 

89, 354 
Dodds, F. L,, 264 
Duncan, O. G., 123 
East, Fred T., 86, 185, 257, 

338 
Edge, S. F., 399 
Edge, T. A., 116 
English, R. H., 41, 87, 114, 

115, 119, 217, 218, 263, 

294, 295, 296, 305 
Etherington, H., 80, 92 
Fenlon, J. E., 97, 122, 124, 

305 
Fletcher, A. H., 123, 125 
Fletcher, L., 260 



INDEX. 



447 



RID 

Riders [cont.) : — 
Ford, Murray, 278 
Fry, F. R., 103, no, 114,305 
Furnivall, Percy, 118, 119, 
122,123,124, 125,293,305, 

371 
Gaskell, H. W., 105, 106, 

109, 113, 217, 218, 305 
Gatehouse, G., 41, 42, 118, 

119, 122-125, 179, 260, 

264, 294, 295, 296, 305 
Gilliatt, Arthur, 93 
Godbolt, G. D., 98 
Godlee, Theo., 256 
Colder, S., 116, 414 
Goodman, M., 257 
Goodwin, H. R., 113, 119 
Gosset, C. H. R., 107, 108, 

109, 123 
Grafenried, Baron E., 82 
Griffith, J. F., 94, 96, 100, 

loi, 102, 257 
Griffith, T., 108 
Hale, E., 123, 125 
Hamilton, J. R., 98, 100, 187 
Harman, C. A., 94 
Hassell, E. S., loi 
Heard, Stanley, 391 
Hebblethwaite, P. G., 100, 

294 
Hillier, G. Lacy, 88, 89, 95- 

98, 100, loi, III, 114, 116, 

117, 120, 179, 257, 285, 

304, 315,384,392,397,424 
Honeywell, F. T. V., y^, 257 
Huie, D. H., no, 115 
Illston, G. H., 108 
Illston, W. A., 87, 118, 122, 

123, 124 
Jolly, F., 278, 279 
Kauffman, 17, 18 
Keen,John, 71,75, 77,86, 90, 

91, 108, 157, 186, 284, 333 



RID 
Riders {conf.): — 

Keith-Falconer, Hon. Ion, 70, 

71, 73, 86, 102, 103, 107, 

188, 260, 262, 263, 273, 

279, 283, 292, 304 
Kemp, Sidney, 94, 96, 256 
Keppel, Hon. Arnold, 15, 16 
Kiderlin, E., 122 
. Knox Holmes, Major T., 116, 

117 
Kohout, Josef, 115 
Laing, D. W., 119 
Langley, A. E., 122 
Laumaille, M., 82 
Lee, J., 118, 123, 124, 294 
Lee, Sidney, 113, 114, 125, 

293, 294 
Leeds, O. G. M., 264 
Lees, F., 21S 
Lennox, James, 70, 107, no, 

119 
Letchford, P. T., 119, 122, 

293, 369 
Liles, C. E., 81, 94, 96, 100, 
loi, 105, 108, III, 113, 
114, 122, 157, 293, 294, 

304, 305, 338 
Lowndes, M. J., 89, 103, 105, 

108 
McAnney, 17, 18 
Macbeth, A. R., 120 
McKay, E. S., 115 
McKinlay, Peter, 103, 104 
Mackinnon, R. R., 74, 80 
McWilliam, W., 279 
Marriott, T. R., 70, 89, 108, 

III, 120, 373 
Mayall, J., jun., 69 
Mayes, E. M., 122 
Mayor, F. G., 264 
Mecredy, R. J., 124, 305 
Mess, C. F., 256 
Meyer, A. J., 80 



CYCLING. 



RID 
Riders {cont. ) : — 

Mills, George P., 5, 70, 123, 

124, 125, 418 
Moore, Frank, 103, 106, 304 
Moore, George, 315 
Muir, H., 265 

Nicolas, F. J., 114, 118, 119 
Nix, P. A., 405 
Nixon, Alfred, 7c, 107, 108, 

109, 112, 115, 119 
Nixon, John, 279 
Osborne, Harry, 81, 94, 157 
Osmond, F. J., 123, 399 
Oxborrow, E. , 118, 120 
Palmer, C. A., 100, 102, 27 j 
Parker, W. B., 100, 105 
Pollock, C. A. E., 84, 264 
Poole, E. H., 258 
Popplewell, Walter, %Z 
Potter, C., 125 
Prentice, F., 106, 113 
Prentice, J., 118 
Price, J. H., 257 
Pullin, J. E., 88 
Quinton, H. H., 115 
Ratclifife, W., 122 
Redwood, Boverton, 258, 289 
Reynolds, H. R., 102, 256, 

291, 292 
Richardson, Stephen, 278 
Rish worth, Walter, 258 
Roe, A. D., 84 
Rogers, E. F., 99 
Rousset, M., 119 
Rucker, M. D., 12, 90, 91, 

278, 279, 284 
Runtz, E. A., 255 
Scrutton, T. E., 106, 256 
Sellers, Sanders, 118, 305 
Shaw, A. P., 258 
Sinclair, M., no, in 
Smith, George, in, 116, 

120, 293 



RID 
Riders {cont. ) : — ■ 
Smith, H. H., 113 
Smith, J. S., 112, 116, 117 
Smith, Mrs. J. S., 112 
Smith, W. A., 256 
Smythe, Frank, 74, 84 
Snook, W., 105 
Speechley, H. A., 113, 120, 

121, 122, 305 
Spencer, Charles, 316 
Sturmey, Plenry, 95, 314, 

Z^l, 364 
Sutton, F., 81, 108, 109, 305 
Sutton, W. F., 71, 105, 112, 

116 
Swann, S., 265 
Tanner, W. B., 87, 106, 

257, 275 
Taylor, C. E., 124 
Terry, W., 120 
Thompson, Alfred, 103, 107, 

109, 114 
Thorn O., 256 
Thorn, W. T., 82, 84, 94, 

103, 256, 292 
Thorp, H. S., 74 
Thuliett, €., 74 
Todd, Robert, 106, 257, 291 
Tolson, J. E., 87 
Tomes, W., 77 
Tough,;., IIS 
Tower, F., 264 
Trotter, A. P., 264 
Turner, E. B., 125 
Turner, Mr., of Paris, 60, 64, 

92 
Turner, Rowley, 64 
Varley, J. L., 260 
Venables, Harry, 258 
Venables, H. A., 100 
Vesey, C. D., 81, 89, 98,]i03, 

108, 109, 257 
Wadey, C. S., 114, 118 



INDEX. 



449 



KID 

Riders {cont.): — 

Walker, T. H. S. 99 
Webb, H J., 113,114,116,293 
Webber, M.V.J. A., 87, 118, 

119, 124, 305 
Wier, A. A., 260, 263, 283, 

292, 304 
Weston, Frank W., 94 
Whatton, J. S., 6, 103, 114, 

256, 260, 263, 264, 304, 

329, 330 
\Miite, Godfrey, 390 
^Vhite, H. C, 70 
Whiting, H. P., 73 

^^^lish, m., 103 

Wilkinson, T. H., 79 
Williams, S. E., 123 
Wilson, A. J., 5, 10, 123- 

125, 315 
Wilson, H. F., 109, 113, 117, 

219, 257, 305 
Wood, Frederic, 89 
Wood, F. P., 399 
Woolnough, ' Bobby,' 89 
Wyndham, Wadham, 73, J^, 

256, 292 
York, E., 29 
Riding, early practice on bone- 
shakers, 127 ; unsuitability 
of ' Safeties ' for instruction, 
1 29 ; engagement of properly 
qualified teachers, 130; use 
of the horizontal bar, 131 ; 
assistance of a friend, 132 ; 
steering, 1 33 ; pedalling, 1 34 ; 
dismounting, 135 ; mounting, 
136-138; the best style, 139; 
pose of the body, 140 ; posi- 
tion of the handles, 141 ; 
short and long reach, 142 ; 
grip of the handles, 143-145 ; 
* grasshopper ' fashion, 144 ; 
steering with feet, 145 ; 



SAF 
ankle-work, 146- 157 ; the 
grindstone action, 146 ; use 
of the home trainer, 147 ; 
diagrams illustrating proper 
pedalling, 149, 151, 152; 
treatment for early muscular 
fatigue, 154 ; training with 
left and right leg alternately, 
155 ; the downward thrust 
and the quick clawing re 
covery, 156 ; leg-reach, 157 ; 
measuring for size of wheel, 
158 ; gearing, 160 ; adjust- 
ment of saddle, 161-167 ; 
Harrington's new tilt-angle 
rod, 163 ; fixing saddle, 166; 
looking after springs, 168 ; 
loose heads, 169 ; attention 
to the wheels and their bear- 
ings, 171 ; choice of pedals, 
171 ; position of the step, 172; 
advice on accidents, 172-175 ; 
how to minimise a fall, 173 ; 
treatment of wounds, 1 74 

Rings, 42 

Ripley, 75, 105, 108 

Road performances questioned, 
117 

Road surveyors, 27, 38, 39, 291 

Roads, 37 ; improvmnent of, 
113, 291 

Roads Improvement Association, 
the, 39 

Rucker's coupling bar, 419 

Running, 2, note 

Russia, cycling in, 261 



Saddles, 132, 161-163, 189, 
208, 432 ; combined saddle 
and spring, 433 

Safeties, 12, 28, 129, 145, 160, 
340, 386-390, 405-41S 
G G 



450 



CYCLING. 



SAI 
St. Albans coach, incident of 

the, 30, 75 
Sanitary Woollen Co. , 202, 236, 

251 
Secretaries of race-meetings, 

191, 302 
Sefton Park, Liverpool, meet, 

107 
Self-moving carriages, 58 
Skerbrooke, Lord, 78 
Shirts, 206, 252 
Shoes, 146, 148, 220, 223, 243, 

244, 269 
Singer & Co.'s works, descrip- 
tion of, 65 
Sociables, 12, 403, 404 
Society of Cyclists, 105, 106 
Socks, 220 
Sore throat, 231 
Southern Camp, the, 104 ; at 
Tunbridge Wells, 1 20 ; at 
Guildford, 124 
Speedwell Show, 112 
Spencer, Charles, introduction 
of the bicycle in his g)'m- 
nasium, 60 ; his claim to have 
taught Charles Dickens the 
bicycle, 92 
Sportsman's Exhibition, 112 
Springs, 129, 159, 163, 168, 

269, 341-346, 433 
Stanley Show, 92, 99, 102, 106, 

112, 117, 121, 257, 407 
Starters, 192, 299, 301, 302 
Steam tricycle, a, 99 
Step, the, 172 
Stockingette, 207 
Stockings, 239 
Stones, 26, 37 
Stop-watch, 221 
Sturmey, Mr, Henry, his hand- 
books, 314, 317, 364, 373 
Sun and Planet gear, 405 



TRA 

Surrey meet, loi, 102 
Suspension wheels, 21 
Sweaters, 251 
Switzerland, cycling in, 83 



Tandem Safety bicycles, 416 

Tandems, 4, 5, 12, 118, 268, 
330, 384, 386, 391, 392, 395- 
397, 399-401 

Tangent wheels, 350 

Teachers of cycling, 130 

Telegraph -board steward at race 
meetings, 192 

Thilum, 175, 226 

Thirst, 213 

Tilt angle-rod, Harrington's, 
163, 344 

Timekeepers, 191, 301 

Tool-bags, 427 

Touring, 195 ; the Cyclists' 
Touring Club, 196 ; planning 
out a tour, 196 ; an average 
day's journey, 197 ; selection 
of inns, 197 ; desirability of 
companionship, 198 ; large 
parties not satisfactory, 198 ; 
training in preparation, 198 ; 
necessaries, 200 ; luggage car- 
riers, 201 ; combination wool- 
len garments, 202 ; details of 
the kit for a bicyclist, 203 ; 
the Cyclist's Pocket Dressing- 
Case, 203 ; the tricyclist's out- 
fit*, 204 ; forwarding changes 
by parcels post, 205 ; luxuries, 
206 ; machine to be over- 
hauled before starting, 207 ; 
tools to be carried, 208 ; the 
lamp, 209 ; suitability of 
C.T.C. dress, 228 
Tracks : — Agricultural Hall, 71, 
85 ; Alexandra Palace, %Z 



INDEX. 



45: 



TRA 
89, 122, 124, 264, 274, 305 ; 
Aylestone Road Grounds^ 
Leicester, 120, 305 ; Bel- 
grave Road Grounds, Lei- 
cester, 99, 100, 304 ; Brid- 
lington Quay, 124 ; Cam- 
bridge, 86, 87, 118, 272, 
273; Cardiff, 114; Coventry, 
276; Crystal Palace, 41, 70, 
71, 78, 87, 97, 102, 103, 105, 
107, no, 115, 116, 119, 122, 
^18, 272, 275, 294, 304, 
305, 424 ; Hampden Park, 
Glasgow, 123, 276, 305 ; 
Jarrow, 119, 123, 305; 
Kennington Oval, 257 ; Lillie 



Brid< 



88, 



13, 115, 124, 



271, 274, 293, 305 ; Lincoln, 
97 ; Long Eaton, 124, 275, 
305 ; Lower Aston Grounds, 
Birmingham, 118 ; North 
Durham, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
114, 305 ; Oxford, 273 ; 
Paignton, 124, 276 ; Sophia 
Gardens, Cardiff, 305 ; Stam- 
ford Bridge, 90, 91, 272, 273, 
2S3, 284, 292, 304 ; Surbiton, 
86, ^1, 94, 96, 100, 102, 103, 
'^11^ 304? 330 ; Taunton Ath- 
letic Grounds, 305, Wallsend, 
1 14 ; Weston-super-Mare, 122, 

305 
Training, 210 ; the professional 
athlete of yore, 210 ; his 
drastic treatment, 212; the old 
treatment applied to modern 
athletes, 212 ; the new style, 
213 ; dangers of hurry, 214 ; 
concurrent development of 
physical and mental powers, 
216 ; employment of a com- 
petent trainer, 216; varying 
temperaments of riders to be 



VEL 

studied, 217 ; sprints and sharp 
finishes, 218 ; long-distance 
preparation, 218 ; over-com- 
petition, 219 ; dress, 220 ; the 
object to be aimed at, 220 ; 
weight and work, 220 ; gaug- 
ing progress in pace, 221 ; in 
the dressing-room, 221, 225 ; 
use of the pacemaker, 222 ; 
the look-out, 222 ; sitting 
straight and pedalling evenly, 

222 ; crooked feet and wob- 
bling shoulders, 223 ; at the 
handles and on the saddle, 

223 ; body and head to be 
kept still, 223, 224 ; the 
evening's work, 224 ; hand 
rubbing after exercise, 225 ; 
early discouragements, their 
explanations and remedies, 
226 

Tricycle Association, the, 289 
Tricycle Conference, 105, no 
Trigwell's ball-bearing head, 

323 
Trivectors, 57 
Turnpike Trust Continuance 

Acts, 39 
Two-speed gears, 374 



Umpires, 193, 301, 302 
University bicycling clulis, com- 
petitions between, 262 



Valises, 414 

Varicose veins, 181 

Vaseline, 174 

Velociman manumotors, 420, 

422 
Velocipedes, 57, 353, 419 



452 CYCLING. 

WAL YOR 

Wales, Princess of, loi ' Wheels, 21, 27, 112, 158, 171, 

Walking, 2, note 347, 352, 353 

Wallets, 427 . Woollens, 202, 203 

Wnrd's woollen garments, 202 Wounds, treatment of, 174 
Waterproof, 205, 252 
Welch's patent Club dicycle, 418 

West Kent B.C. meeting, 114 Yeo, Prince of Siam, 99 

Whatton's handle-bars, 329 York coach, the, 74 



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